A reasoning score, be it verbal or non verbal reasoning, gives an immediate and concise piece of information. This must be one major reason why reasoning scores are used in so many eleven plus examinations.
To sum up the whole of a child’s academic potential in a single score does, however, need to be treated with some degree of caution. The eleven plus test are supposed to be predictive – in that the results are used to say which children should benefit from a grammar school education. It would be interesting to read studies that confirm the effectiveness of the present tests.
The whole area of mental measurement is infinitely complex. Some of us may occasionally find the final test results very frustrating. The validity and fairness of the present eleven plus tests can not, at present, be challenged by parents. In the eyes of many there is not viable alternative.
Many years ago a Frenchman called Binet used a series of tests to identify mentally handicapped children. This lead to the development of other intelligence tests – and then to the widespread application of tests in schools. The reasoning tests used in the eleven plus are standardised, reliable and valid.
There does not, however, appear to be any appetite for questioning the validity of the tests. The stability of the tests is unquestioned – as they have been used effectively in their present form for many years.
The world, however, has moved on considerably in the past few years with the impact of the internet and social networking. Teaching in schools is being challenged on a daily basis. Children are taught with whiteboards and through on line lessons. Perhaps children being educated in today’s world need a different kind of ability test that is more suited to the world they will meet in another six years time.
Showing posts with label Standardised Scores. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Standardised Scores. Show all posts
Sunday, January 23, 2011
Thursday, November 18, 2010
Eleven Plus Percentiles
Standardised Scores and Percentiles
Standardised Scores range comfortably between 70 and 130. A mean of 100 is average. Naturally there are children who are able to climb to scores over 130. Some children will achieve these outstanding scores through excellent support at school, others through wonderful parents and some through good preparation. Some lucky children have a combination of outstanding ability, amazing parents and miraculous tuition.
When a score goes above 115 and below 85, then the scores are a standard deviation from the mean of 100. The children who are well above 115 and well below 85 can be two standard deviations from the mean. The word deviation in this sense is how far the score is from the average of 100.
A percentile, however, gives different information about a child’s performance in comparison with other children. A percentile describes how many children are on or below a score.
A standardised score in the 75th percentile suggests that the result is as well as or better than 75 out of every hundred children.
A score of 130 and above is reached by only 2.27% of the population.
Standardised Score 130
Interpretation Excellent
Deviation >+2
Percentile Score >98
Percentage of the Population 2.27. (How you find 0.27 of a child?)
Standardised Score 115
Interpretation High Average
Deviation >+1
Percentile Score >83
Percentage of the Population 68.26 – between 85 and 115.
Your child may be more interested to hear that he or she is better than 75% of the other children taking the same test.
Standardised Scores range comfortably between 70 and 130. A mean of 100 is average. Naturally there are children who are able to climb to scores over 130. Some children will achieve these outstanding scores through excellent support at school, others through wonderful parents and some through good preparation. Some lucky children have a combination of outstanding ability, amazing parents and miraculous tuition.
When a score goes above 115 and below 85, then the scores are a standard deviation from the mean of 100. The children who are well above 115 and well below 85 can be two standard deviations from the mean. The word deviation in this sense is how far the score is from the average of 100.
A percentile, however, gives different information about a child’s performance in comparison with other children. A percentile describes how many children are on or below a score.
A standardised score in the 75th percentile suggests that the result is as well as or better than 75 out of every hundred children.
A score of 130 and above is reached by only 2.27% of the population.
Standardised Score 130
Interpretation Excellent
Deviation >+2
Percentile Score >98
Percentage of the Population 2.27. (How you find 0.27 of a child?)
Standardised Score 115
Interpretation High Average
Deviation >+1
Percentile Score >83
Percentage of the Population 68.26 – between 85 and 115.
Your child may be more interested to hear that he or she is better than 75% of the other children taking the same test.
Sunday, November 14, 2010
Eleven Plus Standardisation
In the world of the eleven plus we often talk about standardisation and standard scores. We all hope that an age related standard score will make it as fair as possible for eleven plus children. The scores reflect a child’s attainment on a certain day at a certain time. A pass through the vehicle of a standardised score is not the full sum of a child’s ability.
What would happen if the final eleven plus standardised score was a component in a child’s portfolio?
The work done Arnold Gesell tried to provide standardised observation methods for babies and young children. Openings were made in the walls of the observation room, and specially constructed looking glasses were built in. From the one side of the room they looked normal – but from the other side the walls were transparent and allowed clear observation of a child’s behaviour. Cameras were able to take up to 3000 pictures a second allowing a minute analysis of movements. The cameras could record a child interacting with books and papers.
There may be some information in this blog for men and women of vision. Parents of preschool children could book their child into a `Pre Eleven Plus Clinic’. The clinic would take details of weight, height, ability to interact with pre eleven plus books and appetite for concentration. (There would be a fee of course.)
The standardised results f the pre eleven plus test could be combined with the standardised results of the actual eleven plus examination.
Proud parents could then feel that they had done their best.
“When is it time to start eleven plus work?”
`Come to a pre eleven plus course
aimed at children from
three months and upward.
Your child will learn how to be
observed and tested.
The results will help in the actual
Eleven plus examination.
What would happen if the final eleven plus standardised score was a component in a child’s portfolio?
The work done Arnold Gesell tried to provide standardised observation methods for babies and young children. Openings were made in the walls of the observation room, and specially constructed looking glasses were built in. From the one side of the room they looked normal – but from the other side the walls were transparent and allowed clear observation of a child’s behaviour. Cameras were able to take up to 3000 pictures a second allowing a minute analysis of movements. The cameras could record a child interacting with books and papers.
There may be some information in this blog for men and women of vision. Parents of preschool children could book their child into a `Pre Eleven Plus Clinic’. The clinic would take details of weight, height, ability to interact with pre eleven plus books and appetite for concentration. (There would be a fee of course.)
The standardised results f the pre eleven plus test could be combined with the standardised results of the actual eleven plus examination.
Proud parents could then feel that they had done their best.
“When is it time to start eleven plus work?”
`Come to a pre eleven plus course
aimed at children from
three months and upward.
Your child will learn how to be
observed and tested.
The results will help in the actual
Eleven plus examination.
Thursday, October 28, 2010
Eleven Plus Standardised Scores
There are several steps that have to be taken before tests are standardised. One criterion is to see that the test is representative of different children. It is no good trying to standardise a test based only on able eleven plus children. The results could be skewed.
An age standardisation test takes into account your child’s age, so that you have an indication of how well your child is performing relative to other children of the same age. In the olden days there was a look up table with the raw score down the left side of the page and the child’s age in years and months spread across the page. Each cell of the test contained a standardised score – which is the standardised score adjusted for your child’s age. In today’s world the eleven plus tests are marked by a device similar to a scanner – and it knows your child’s age and how many correct answers you child made – and so working out the standardised score is completed in milliseconds.
An average standardised score is 100 with a standard deviation of 15. This means that if your child achieves a score of 100 then your child is average for that test. About two thirds of all children will have scores between 85 and 100. About 16% will be above 115 – and this is where eleven plus children need to aim.
The pass mark – or the standardised score pass mark can vary from group of children to group and from year to year.
A lot of caution needs to be taken with tests and test results. We worked with a girl up to the recent eleven plus tests who started on her eleven plus course around February of this year with around average results. She passed the examination with outstanding marks – around and above 130. The difference was not because we taught wonderful lessons. She made the progress because she wanted to pass the examination, she wanted to go to grammar school, and she wanted to work very hard to achieve her goals.
Her mother believed in her. Her school were, we understand, delighted.
We ate the chocolates and basked in the reflected glory!
An age standardisation test takes into account your child’s age, so that you have an indication of how well your child is performing relative to other children of the same age. In the olden days there was a look up table with the raw score down the left side of the page and the child’s age in years and months spread across the page. Each cell of the test contained a standardised score – which is the standardised score adjusted for your child’s age. In today’s world the eleven plus tests are marked by a device similar to a scanner – and it knows your child’s age and how many correct answers you child made – and so working out the standardised score is completed in milliseconds.
An average standardised score is 100 with a standard deviation of 15. This means that if your child achieves a score of 100 then your child is average for that test. About two thirds of all children will have scores between 85 and 100. About 16% will be above 115 – and this is where eleven plus children need to aim.
The pass mark – or the standardised score pass mark can vary from group of children to group and from year to year.
A lot of caution needs to be taken with tests and test results. We worked with a girl up to the recent eleven plus tests who started on her eleven plus course around February of this year with around average results. She passed the examination with outstanding marks – around and above 130. The difference was not because we taught wonderful lessons. She made the progress because she wanted to pass the examination, she wanted to go to grammar school, and she wanted to work very hard to achieve her goals.
Her mother believed in her. Her school were, we understand, delighted.
We ate the chocolates and basked in the reflected glory!
Tuesday, October 26, 2010
Eleven Plus Standardised Scores
A question today was emailed in by a mother about how easy it is to compare standardised scores. Is one standardised score more reliable than another? In the eleven plus tests standardised scores are used to place children into rank order. The children who have scored high enough pass and these children did not quite make it do not pass.
A proper measuring scale has zero as an absolute point. An example of a scale that has equal units - but not an absolute zero - is a centigrade thermometer. The zero is placed at the temperature of freezing water. We can say that the temperature rises as much from 0 to 25 degrees as it does from 25 to 50 degrees. It is impossible, however, to say that we will find the temperature at 50 degrees twice as hot as at 25 degrees.
Strictly speaking the standardised score is standardised against complex criteria. We can’t say, however, that a child with a score of 140 out of 140 is twice as clever as a child with a score of 115. There are limitations that must affect the way we look at standardised scores. A child who passes one eleven plus test with a standardised score of 120 is not all that much better than a child who passes a different eleven plus test with a standardised score of 117.
A proper measuring scale has zero as an absolute point. An example of a scale that has equal units - but not an absolute zero - is a centigrade thermometer. The zero is placed at the temperature of freezing water. We can say that the temperature rises as much from 0 to 25 degrees as it does from 25 to 50 degrees. It is impossible, however, to say that we will find the temperature at 50 degrees twice as hot as at 25 degrees.
Strictly speaking the standardised score is standardised against complex criteria. We can’t say, however, that a child with a score of 140 out of 140 is twice as clever as a child with a score of 115. There are limitations that must affect the way we look at standardised scores. A child who passes one eleven plus test with a standardised score of 120 is not all that much better than a child who passes a different eleven plus test with a standardised score of 117.
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