Iowa Test Scores | Understand Your Child’s Results

The ITBS and the Iowa Assessments are scored based on your child’s age as well as the current month and grade level when the test is administered.

Here are some of the scores you will see on your child’s Iowa score report:

Standard Score (SS) or National Standard Score (NSS). The raw scores for each subtest are converted to Standard Scores that range from 80 to 400. A Standard Score indicates each student’s placement along an achievement continuum. Students fall within one of three categories for each subject: Not Proficient (NP), Proficient (P) or Advanced (A).  CLICK HERE to see a report on standards scores and interpreting proficiency on the Iowa Assessments and the ITBS. The expectation for proficiency has remained the same from the old ITBS to the new Iowa Assessments.

Grade Equivalent (GE) or National Grade Equivalent (NGE). Grade Equivalent scores represent what the average student in the indicated level might score on the ITBS. Scores range from K.0 to 13+, with the first letter or number indicating current grade (K = Kindergarten, 1 = 1^st grade, etc.) and the following decimal indicating a particular month in that school year. Example: 1.7 means the seventh month of 1^st grade. The Grade Equivalent scores help administrators compare each child’s learning progress over time.

National Percentile Rank (NPR). Each student’s National Percentile Rank score is calculated by comparing test performance against others within the same age range and grade level. A score in the 90^th percentile means your child scored better than 90% of students on the Iowa test. Percentile rankings range from 1-99; the average rank in the U.S. is 50^th percentile.

ITBS Test Scoring

The ITBS uses a norm-referenced scoring system, meaning student performance is compared to that of a representative sample of students (norm group) of the same grade level across the country. This norm group represents a wide range of student abilities, ensuring a fair comparison.

Raw Scores

The initial step in ITBS scoring involves converting the number of correct responses on the test into raw scores. A raw score simply represents the total number of questions a student answered correctly.

Standard Scores

Raw scores are then converted into standard scores, which allow for comparison with the norm group. Standard scores typically have a mean of 100 and a standard deviation of 15. For instance, a standard score of 100 would represent average performance for the student’s grade level.

Percentile Rank

Percentile Rank (PR) is another key component of ITBS scoring. PR ranges from 1 to 99 and shows the percentage of students in the norm group who scored lower than a particular student. For example, a PR of 85 means the student scored better than 85% of students in the norm group.

Grade Equivalent Scores

Another crucial score is the Grade Equivalent (GE) score, representing the grade level at which a student’s performance corresponds. A GE score of 4.6, for example, would mean the student’s score is equivalent to what an average fourth-grade student would likely achieve in the sixth month of school.

The ITBS Score Report

The ITBS Score Report provides a detailed breakdown of a student’s performance across the various domains tested. This report offers a wealth of information, which can be divided into three main sections:

1. Overall Performance: This section provides a high-level view of a student’s performance. It includes the total raw score, standard score, percentile rank, and grade equivalent.
2. Domain-level Scores: The report breaks down the student’s performance in each domain (such as reading, math, and science). For each domain, it provides the raw score, standard score, percentile rank, and grade equivalent. This detailed breakdown allows parents and educators to identify specific strengths and weaknesses.
3. Growth Information: This section typically contains growth information, providing a way to track the student’s academic growth from one year to the next. It shows whether the student’s performance improved, declined, or remained the same across the different domains.

Interpreting the ITBS Score Report

Interpreting the ITBS Score Report requires understanding what each score represents:

1. Standard Scores: These scores allow parents and educators to compare a student’s performance with the average performance of students in the same grade level nationwide.
2. Percentile Ranks: These provide a clear way to see how a student’s performance stacks up against their peers across the country. It helps in identifying the areas where a student is ahead or may need additional support.
3. Grade Equivalent Scores: While these can give a general sense of how a student is performing relative to an average student at different grade levels, they should be interpreted with caution. A high GE doesn’t necessarily mean a student is ready for work at that grade level.

Understanding the ITBS Score Report can empower parents and educators to support students more effectively, tailoring instruction and intervention based on each student’s unique needs. It provides a comprehensive view of a student

CLICK HERE to see an explanation of the information on your child’s Iowa Assessments score report.

To get started with all of the ITBS and Iowa testing material offered by Testing Mom, check out our 100 Free Questions.