How do I understand my child's test scores?

Understanding your child’s assessment results can help you advocate for the right support in their IEP. The more you understand the assessments, the better you can work with the IEP team to support your child’s growth.

Here are tips for reviewing standardized test scores, which measure skills based on the expected proficiency for an age range or grade level:

• When scores are presented as average, below average or well below average, ask for the actual scores and the Relative Proficiency Index (RPI).
• If the report only mentions general domain areas, ask the results for specific skills so that you can compare. For example if the child did worse on the subtest Word Attack compared to the subtest on reading a passage, ask what happened during Word Attack — where did the child get stuck?
• Look for scores that are lower than the other skills to find your child’s challenges. Ask how the test was performed so you can understand the challenge that was presented, and look for a way to incorporate that skill into an IEP goal.
• Look for scores that are relatively higher than the other skills (even if still low) to find your child’s strengths. Ask how the test was performed so the team can incorporate that strength into future learning strategies. If every score is exactly 40, it's likely that 40 is the lowest possible score the test can measure — often called the "floor." In other words, the test can't assess anything below that point. This doesn't tell you much about the child's ability below the 40 mark. In this case, ask for a criterion-referenced test that can assess their skill level without comparing them to other children the same age or grade.

For criterion-referenced tests, which can indicate the student's proficiency without age or grade level norming:

• Look for growth if you can – compare with previous tests.
• Look for inconsistency such as when the test was higher the last time they were tested.
• Where a child has met a goal and shows mastery of a skill, ask about how to maintain this skill as they move forward.
• Ask how the special designed instruction provided by their IEP is going to help your child learn foundational skills.

For more information on how to review your child's assessment reports, see our article IEP Assessments 101.

For information specific to reading assessments and the difference between standardized and criterion-reference tests, see Reading Assessments: How Do We Measure Reading?.