Question

Which of the following is the most effective way to use a norm-referenced assessment?

1) Comparing an individual's performance to a predetermined standard
2) Comparing an individual's performance to the performance of others
3) Evaluating an individual's performance based on their own progress
4) Evaluating an individual's performance based on their personal goals

Answer 1

The most effective way to use a norm-referenced assessment is by comparing an individual's performance to the performance of others, as such assessments are designed to rank individuals relative to a norm group.

Step-by-step explanation:

The most effective way to use a norm-referenced assessment is to compare an individual's performance to the performance of others. Norm-referenced assessments are designed to rank test takers relative to each other, providing information on whether individuals perform better, worse, or about the same as their peers. This approach does not measure against a fixed standard, but rather against a distribution of scores from a representative sample of individuals.

Norm-referenced assessments rely on data from testing a large population to establish norms or referential scores. Notably, the Stanford-Binet Intelligence Scale is an example of such a test developed in 1916 and still used today. Norm-referenced tests are not meant to evaluate individual performance against personal goals but to provide a comparison to a larger group.