Criterion-Referenced Tests

What is a CRT?

A CRT is a measure designed to estimate mastery of an identified unit of a curriculum (e.g., battles of the Civil War, multidigit addition with regrouping, use of prepositions). CRTs are also referred to as curriculum-based measures and more broadly as curriculum-based assessment. CRTs are standardized instruments, which are constructed with sufficient precision that different examiners will administer, score, and interpret results in the same way. CRTs contain items designed to represent the unit of instruction adequately. Each item has a predetermined correct answer that can be scored objectively by the assessor. A CRT is used for two main purposes. First, it is used to determine whether a student is weak in a given skill and needs further instruction. Second, it is used to determine the effectiveness of instruction. Although CRTs are seldom normed nationally, it is beneficial to collect local norms for appropriate grade groups.

In contrast to norm-referenced tests, which use relative mastery criteria to interpret scores, CRTs use absolute mastery criteria. Therefore, the student's performance is not compared to that of other students but to a predetermined absolute standard of performance. Most commonly, CRTs measure performance as percentage correct. The particular measure used should be based on real-life demands. Because CRTs are usually used to measure short-term objectives, they tend to be formative rather than summative in nature. Thus, for skills at the lowest taxonomic levels (e.g., miniskills), educators may obtain mastery estimates on a weekly or even a daily basis. [Page 196]

Figure 1 A Partial Taxonomy for Mathematics

Some writers distinguish between domain-referenced tests and objective-referenced tests. Domain-referenced tests provide a measure that is interpretable in the context of a clearly defined and delimited set of objectives that collectively constitute an entire domain (e.g., mathematics, reading). Objective-referenced tests provide a measure that is interpretable only for a particular instructional objective.

Selection of Taxonomies of Objectives

It is useful for practitioners to select taxonomies of objectives for domains relevant to their practice. For instance, a mathematics teacher would benefit from a complete specification of the broad, enabling, and specific math skills needed by American citizens. Such a taxonomy represents the results of a task analysis of a domain. Although there is no such thing as a perfect taxonomy, national organizations (e.g., the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics, National Council of Teachers of English, National Research Council-Science) often publish taxonomies. A layout of a partial math taxonomy might look like that displayed in Figure 1.

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