Grade equivalent
Last updated
A grade equivalent is a score that matches a student's raw score to the grade level at which an average student earned the same raw score.
Topic: Evaluation and assessment
In plain terms
A grade equivalent of 3.5 means the student's raw score equals the median score of students in the fifth month of third grade in the norm sample. It does not mean the student reads like a third grader or should be taught third-grade material. Test publishers and assessment experts generally warn against using these scores for decisions because they are easy to misread.
How it shows up in an IEP
If a present levels statement uses a grade equivalent, pair it with a clearer measure such as a standard score or a direct skill measure. Goals should not be written as "will gain one grade level," because grade equivalents are not equal units.
Example
An evaluation reports a seventh grader's spelling at grade equivalent 4.2. The team adds a standard score and a sample of the student's spelling errors so the present levels show what to teach.
Related terms
- Standard scoreA standard score shows how far a student's test result is from the average of the norm group, usually on a scale where 100 is average.
- Percentile rankA percentile rank tells the percent of students in the norm group who scored at or below a student's score.
- Norm-referenced testA norm-referenced test compares a student's score with the scores of a large group of same-age or same-grade students who took the test earlier.
- Instructional reading levelThe instructional reading level is the text difficulty at which a student can read with teacher support, usually with about 90 to 95% word accuracy.
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