Interpreting Assessment Data

Interpreting assessment data is a process of understanding the purpose, design, and scores of assessments. Proper interpretation provides information [Page 768]on how children are doing in comparison to other children their age, how they are progressing over time, and how information relates to the goals of a teacher, curriculum, or early childhood program. Data literacy skills and connection of the measures to the intentions of teaching will aid interpretation. This entry focuses primarily on the interpretation of norm-referenced assessments, because these assessments often come with a variety of scores and numbers that require specialized knowledge to interpret and understand. Direct assessments that do not follow standard procedures are also discussed. In addition to direct assessments of children, this entry briefly explores the interpretation of classroom ...