(14.2) Consider norm referenced assessment and criterion referenced assessment. Are there advantages to both? Are there disadvantages?
More so than in middle school or high school, I think it is important for elementary school teachers to understand the importance of norm-referenced assessment. As a Psychology major, I am familiar with diagnosing disorders based on how a child acts RELATIVE to those close in age. This may be a grey area to address because then it brings into question, "What is normal?". Immediately when I hear criterion referenced assessment, I think of assessing a young students ability to read and write according to what the predetermined standards outline. For example, criterion referenced assessment would be based on how many words a student can read without struggling. I think both have advantages and disadvantages. Norm referenced assessment allows teachers to notice a student who is struggling more than the rest of the class or is more advanced in comparison to other classmates. However, I don't like the idea of comparing students to each other. This may make students develop poor self-esteem and they need to realize that all people are different with different strengths and weaknesses. Criterion referenced assessment allows teachers to accurately test the ability of a student. This is similar to results you may receive on an IQ test. The score may determine your IQ but who defines the level to IQ. This addresses one of the disadvantages of criterion referenced assessment. Who determines the standards for which a child can learn and grow?
Morgan, I enjoyed your post. You took a very different approach to discussing norm-referenced assessment, which is refreshing! While I typically try to avoid labeling others as "normal" or "abnormal", I think you are right in addressing the necessity of such tests. Without a basis for comparison, standards mean nothing. While every student cannot be expected to meet every standard, norm-referenced assessment is the basis for creating the standards from which criterion-based assessments are made. Therefore, it seems the two are unavoidably interrelated.
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