Which evaluation compares one student's performance to that of another, often with a bell curve?

Which evaluation compares one student's performance to that of another, often with a bell curve?

• A. Formative
• B. Criterion-Referenced
• C. Summative
• D. Norm-Referenced

Answer: (D)

Comparing a student’s performance to that of peers is what a norm-referenced assessment does. It looks at where an individual stands relative to a group and often places scores along a distribution that can resemble a bell curve, giving percentile ranks or relative standing rather than a fixed standard. This contrasts with other approaches: formative assessments provide ongoing feedback to improve learning, criterion-referenced measures judge performance against a fixed set of standards or objectives, and summative assessments evaluate overall learning at the end of a unit (which can be tied to standards or, less commonly, to relative standing). Because the question focuses on placing a student in relation to others and often uses a bell-curve distribution, the correct concept is norm-referenced.

Comparing a student’s performance to that of peers is what a norm-referenced assessment does. It looks at where an individual stands relative to a group and often places scores along a distribution that can resemble a bell curve, giving percentile ranks or relative standing rather than a fixed standard. This contrasts with other approaches: formative assessments provide ongoing feedback to improve learning, criterion-referenced measures judge performance against a fixed set of standards or objectives, and summative assessments evaluate overall learning at the end of a unit (which can be tied to standards or, less commonly, to relative standing). Because the question focuses on placing a student in relation to others and often uses a bell-curve distribution, the correct concept is norm-referenced.