What term describes the measurement of performance in relation to a large group's standardization or locally developed norms?

• A. Portfolio-based assessment
• B. Instructional level
• C. Norm-referenced measurement
• D. Idaho Reading Indicator

Answer: (C)

Measuring performance by comparing a student’s score to a larger group uses norm-referenced measurement. This approach relies on a norm group (a representative set of scorers) to interpret where an individual stands relative to peers, often producing percentile ranks or standard scores. It answers questions like, “How does this student compare to others the same age or grade level?” In contrast, portfolio-based assessment focuses on a student’s own work and how it meets specific criteria, not on how it stacks up against a broader group. Instructional level refers to the level at which instruction is appropriate or at which a student is currently performing, not a type of measurement. The Idaho Reading Indicator is a specific screening tool used locally, not a general norm-referenced measure. So the term that describes measuring performance against a large group’s norms is norm-referenced measurement.