Misc. FAQ’s

Does the Performance Series align to specific state standards?

Yes, a Curriculum Alignment Guide is used to align state standards to learning objectives assessed in the Performance Series^SM. If a Curriculum Alignment Guide is applied, the reports will display the state's standards next to the appropriate learning objectives in Performance Series^SM. The Curriculum Alignment Guide is only available for math, language arts, and science. (This last is unavailable to CWCS at this time).

How often can the Performance Series^SM be administered?

Scantron Corporation recommends the test be given no more than two to three times a year, with at least a 12-week window between tests, to provide the lowest standard error of measurement and ensure reliability and validity. The Performance Series^SM can be used as pre-and post-tests at the beginning of the school year and once during the middle of the year to monitor student growth.

Do all students see the same test?

No, since the Performance Series^SM is computer adaptive, each test is unique for every student. Even if two students happen to have the same test question, the answers are scrambled, which increases test security.

Is the Performance SeriesSM a criterion-referenced test or a norm-referenced test?

The Performance SeriesSM is both. The main difference between a criterion-referenced test and a norm-referenced test is not the test itself, but the interpretation of the results. In a criterion-referenced test students are assessed on their performance in relation to a set of criteria and in a norm-referenced test students are assessed on their performance within the norm group. The Performance SeriesSM is designed to measure individual performance; therefore, it is a criterion-referenced test. However, National Percentile Rankings are also provided to show how students performed on the test compared to a national norm sample.

Can teachers see which questions the students answered correctly or incorrectly?

For security reasons, we do not allow test items to be published. However, Performance Series does provide a Suggested Learning Objectives Report. This report includes a list of successfully attained objectives as well as a list of objectives that the learner needs to work on next. The reason for this is that the test is computer adaptive and each student follows a different path. The questions the students see along the path are not as important as the path they took to obtain their final score.

What accommodations would be considered for special education students to remain compliant with federal guidelines?

Examples of possible accommodations:

· Stories and questions can be read orally to students

· Students can indicate responses by pointing to the screen manually or through the use of assistive input devices

· Someone else could record student responses

· Extended time for testing is built in to the design of the test

· Student frustration is diminished by the assessment tool’s ability to limit the number of questions that are too difficult or too easy

· Students can start an assessment, stop, and continue the assessment at a later date without penalty.