Glossary of School Testing Terms (A–Z)
A reference guide to the most common terms you will encounter on school test reports, IEPs, and assessment documents.
A
Accommodations: Changes to how a test is administered (e.g., extended time, separate room) that do not alter the content being assessed. See Testing Accommodations and IEP and 504 Plans.
ACT: College admissions test scored on a 1–36 composite scale. See ACT Guide.
Achievement test: A test measuring what a student has learned in a specific content area. Distinct from an aptitude test.
Adaptive testing (Computer-adaptive): A testing format where question difficulty adjusts in real time based on each response. Used by MAP, STAR, and others.
Advanced Placement (AP): College Board program offering college-level courses and exams to high school students. See AP Exams.
AFQT: Armed Forces Qualifying Test; a score derived from ASVAB used for military enlistment eligibility. See ASVAB.
AR (Accelerated Reader): A reading program using comprehension quizzes tied to specific books. See Accelerated Reader.
ASVAB: Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery; a test used for military enlistment and career exploration. See ASVAB Explained.
ATOS level: The book difficulty level used in Accelerated Reader, expressed as a grade-level decimal (e.g., 4.2).
B
Baseline score: An initial score taken at the beginning of a period to measure subsequent growth against.
Benchmark: A score or level used as a reference point to indicate whether a student is on track. Also used to describe periodic assessments given throughout the year to track progress.
Below benchmark: A STAR or DIBELS designation indicating a student is not meeting expected performance levels for their grade.
C
CAT (Computer Adaptive Test): See adaptive testing above.
Claim score: A subscore on Smarter Balanced (SBAC) assessments representing performance in a specific content area within a subject.
College Board: The organization that publishes the SAT, PSAT tests, and AP program. Website: collegeboard.org.
Composite score: A single score summarizing performance across multiple sections of a test (e.g., ACT composite).
Criterion-referenced test: A test measuring performance against a fixed standard rather than comparing students to one another. Most state standardized tests are criterion-referenced.
Curve: An adjustment applied to test scores to account for test difficulty. See How Tests Are Graded.
D
Diagnostic assessment: A test given before instruction to determine what students already know and what gaps exist.
DIBELS: Dynamic Indicators of Basic Early Literacy Skills; a set of brief oral reading measures for K–8. See DIBELS Explained.
E
EOC (End-of-Course exam): A standardized test given at the end of a specific course (e.g., Algebra I EOC, English I EOC) rather than tied to a grade level.
ESSA: Every Student Succeeds Act; federal legislation requiring annual testing in reading and math for grades 3–8 and once in high school.
Extended time: A testing accommodation giving a student additional time to complete an assessment. See Testing Accommodations.
F
504 Plan: A disability accommodation plan under Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act. See IEP and 504 Plans.
Formative assessment: An assessment given during the learning process to check for understanding and guide instruction. See Formative vs. Summative.
G
Grade equivalent (GE) score: A score expressing performance as the grade and month level at which the median student scored similarly. Often misinterpreted. See Grade Equivalent Scores Explained.
GPA (Grade Point Average): A numerical average of course grades, typically on a 4.0 or weighted scale.
I
IB (International Baccalaureate): A rigorous international curriculum program with exams scored on a 1–7 scale. See IB Exams Explained.
IEP (Individualized Education Program): A legally binding plan for a student with a disability qualifying for special education services. See IEP and 504 Plans.
Interleaving: A study strategy alternating between different topics or problem types within a single study session. See How to Help Your Child Study.
L
Lexile measure: A number describing either text complexity or reader reading ability on the same scale (e.g., 850L). See Lexile Score Explained and Lexile Bands by Grade.
M
MAP (Measures of Academic Progress): NWEA’s computer-adaptive growth assessment. See NWEA MAP Explained.
Modifications: Changes to what a student is expected to learn or do, as opposed to accommodations which change how they demonstrate learning.
N
NAEP: National Assessment of Educational Progress; the “Nation’s Report Card.” See NAEP Explained.
Norm-referenced test: A test comparing a student’s performance to a representative sample of peers (the norm group). Examples: MAP, STAR, SAT.
NWEA: Northwest Evaluation Association; the organization that publishes the MAP assessment. See NWEA MAP Explained.
P
PARCC: Partnership for Assessment of Readiness for College and Careers; a standardized assessment consortium. See PARCC Explained.
Percentile rank: A number from 1–99 indicating the percentage of the norm group that scored at or below a given score. See Percentile Ranks Explained.
Performance level: A categorical label (e.g., Proficient, Meets Grade Level, Level 3) assigned based on where a scaled score falls relative to benchmark thresholds.
PSAT: Preliminary SAT; includes PSAT 8/9, PSAT 10, and PSAT/NMSQT. See PSAT 8/9 and 10 and PSAT/NMSQT.
R
Raw score: The number of questions answered correctly before any scaling is applied. See Scaled vs. Raw Scores.
RIT score: Rasch UnIT score; the scale used to report MAP results. See RIT Scores Explained.
Rubric: A scoring guide describing performance criteria and levels used for grading essays, projects, and other open-ended work. See How Tests Are Graded.
S
SAT: College admissions test published by College Board, scored 400–1600. See SAT Parent Guide.
SBAC / Smarter Balanced: A multi-state standardized assessment system. See SBAC Explained.
Scaled score: A raw score that has been mathematically transformed onto a consistent reporting scale. See Scaled vs. Raw Scores.
Screener: A brief assessment used to identify students who may need additional evaluation or support.
Spaced practice: Spreading study sessions over time rather than concentrating them. See How to Help Your Child Study.
STAAR: State of Texas Assessments of Academic Readiness. See STAAR Explained.
Standard score: A score on a scale with mean 100 and standard deviation 15, used in psychological and cognitive evaluations.
Standards-based grading: A grading system that reports mastery of specific learning standards rather than letter grades. See How Tests Are Graded.
STAR: Renaissance Learning’s suite of computer-adaptive benchmark assessments. See STAR Assessment Explained.
Subscore: A score within a test section measuring performance in a specific skill area.
Summative assessment: An assessment given at the end of an instructional period to evaluate overall mastery. See Formative vs. Summative.
Superscore: A composite score assembled from the best individual section scores across multiple test sittings. Many colleges superscore the SAT and ACT.
T
Test anxiety: Significant anxiety about testing that can interfere with performance. See Test Anxiety Explained.
W
Weighted grades: A grading system that assigns more grade-point value to advanced or honors courses. See How Tests Are Graded.
Z
ZPD (Zone of Proximal Development): In the AR context, a range of reading levels considered appropriately challenging for a student based on their STAR score. See Accelerated Reader Explained.