This document discusses interpreting test scores and grading. It covers the functions of grading such as enhancing student learning, informing parents of progress, and uses for administrative purposes. There are two main types of grading: absolute, which is based on defined standards, and relative, which compares a student's performance to others in the group. Absolute grading has disadvantages like difficulty setting standards while relative grading can lead to inconsistent interpretations as group ability varies. The document also addresses assigning letter grades based on percentiles and the importance of record keeping for grading.

1. EDUCATIONAL
ASSESSMENT
Interpreting Test Scores
(Grading and Reporting)
Dr. Hina Jalal (Ph.D.) @AksEAina

2. Interpreting Test Scores
6.1 Functions of Grading and Reporting
6.2 Types of Grading and Reporting
6.3 Relative Vs Absolute Scoring
6.4 Assigning Letter Grades
6.5 Record Keeping and Grading Software
6.6 Use of Feedback of Assessment

3. • Grading is the one of the major functions, result, and
outcome of assessing and evaluating students’ learning in
the educational setting. A grade represents the extent to
which the intended learning outcomes have been
achieved.
• The grading system should aim to motivate, encourage,
and meet the students’ learning needs.
• Grading is based on teacher’s academic judgment.
GRADING AND REPORTING

5. Grading Process

7.  Grading and scoring are not the same
 Scoring (using a rubric) involves assigning an objective description to a student’s
performance
 Grading involves a value judgment; the same score can be assigned different grades based
on a number of factors
 Two different teachers might assign different grades to the same scores in different
classrooms
 One teacher might assign a score one grade at the beginning of a term when the students
are just learning, and a lower grade at the end of the term when students are expected to
know much more.

9. 1. Enhancing/Improve students’ learning by:
 clarifying instructional objectives for them
 showing students’ strengths & weaknesses
 providing information on personal-social development
 enhancing students’ motivation (e.g., short-term goals)
 indicating where teaching might be modified
Best achieved by:
 Day-to-day tests and feedback
 Plus, periodic integrated summaries
Functions of Grading and Reporting

10. • Informing parents (or guardians) of their children's school progress is a basic function of a grading
and reporting system. These reports should help parents understand the objectives of the school and
how well their children are achieving the intend learning outcomes of their program. This
information is important for several reasons.
 Communicates objectives to parents, so they can help promote learning
 Communicates how well objectives being met, so parents can better plan
• Grades especially conveyed through report cards provide a critical feedback to parents about their
children’s progress in school. Aside from grades in the report cards however, feedbacks can also be
obtained from standardized tests, teachers’ comments. Grades also help parents to identify the
strengths and weaknesses of their child. Depending on the format of report cards, parents may also
receive feedbacks about their children’s behavior, conduct, social skills and other variables that
might be included in the report card.
2. Reports to parents/guardians
Functions of Grading and Reporting

11. Functions of Grading and Reporting
• Grades can serve as one factor in determining if a student will be promoted to the next level or not.
• Grades are factors to be considered in placing students according to their competencies and deficiencies.
• Provide input for realistic educational, vocational, and personal counselling
• Through the grades of students taking a certain program, program effectiveness can be somehow evaluated.
Grades of students can be a factor used in determining whether the program was effective or not.
• External organizations from the school also use grades as reference for admission. When students transfer from
one school to another, their grades play crucial role for their admission.
• Exceptionalities, disorders and other malfunctions can also be determined through the use of grades.
• It is through the grades of students that teachers can somehow seek the assistance of a counsellor.
3. Administrative and guidance uses

12. Absolute
◦ Criterion-/task-referencing  based on a defined set of
standards when evaluating a student’s performance
Advantages Disadvantages
No reference to the
performance of
others
Performance standards are
difficult to specify and justify, as
they may vary unintentionally due
to variations in test difficulty,
student ability, and instructional
effectiveness
All students can
obtain high grades
May be subject to rater’s
subjectivity
Relative
◦ Norm-/group-referencing: based on how a student’s
performance compared to others in a group/class
Advantages Disadvantages
Easy to interpret as it
describes a rank in a
group
Provides inconsistent
interpretation as the
meaning of a grade
varies with the ability of
the student group
Can discriminate among
levels of student
performance
Can be assigned without
using a clear reference
to specific student
performance
Types of Grading and Reporting

13. An absolute criteria test is one deliberately designed to give results than can be directly
interpreted in terms of the acceptable level of performance of the person tested. It enables a
person's performance to be evaluated in relation to a previously specified level of performance.
The aim, therefore, is to determine whether a person has or has not mastered a particular task,
and not to compare one person's performance with that of another or of a group of persons. A
relative criteria test, on the other hand, aims at enabling a valid discrimination to be made
between persons on the basis of different types of performances; it is thus a competitive test.

14. Relative criteria tests are the ones most frequently employed for examination purposes.
Unfortunately, their disadvantages greatly outnumber their advantages, for if a group of students
is particularly brilliant the utilization of relative criteria tests will lead to some of them being
failed although their level of performance may be satisfactory from the absolute viewpoint. On
the other hand, if a given group of students has on the whole a low performance level (because
the appropriate instruction has not been given, or has been poorly given, or for some other
reason) the relative criteria system may allow “poor” students to pass if they are above the
average of their group.
A hard grade to the curve would look as follows.
A = Top 10% of students
B = Next 25% of students
C = Middle 30% of students
D = Next 25% of students
F = Bottom 10% of students

15. THANK YOU
Dr. Hina Jalal (Ph.D. Education)
Dr. HJ(hinansari23@gmail.com/@AksEAina)