What characterizes "norm-referenced assessment"?

Norm-referenced assessment is characterized by its focus on ranking students' performances relative to a specific group, known as the norm group. This type of assessment provides a comparative measurement that illustrates how an individual student performs in relation to peers, often resulting in a percentile ranking or similar metric. By doing so, educators can identify where a student stands within a broader context, which can be useful for understanding the distribution of skills and achievements within a classroom or larger population.

The other options describe different assessment approaches. Assessments that assess against a set standard are known as criterion-referenced assessments, which measure student performance based on predefined learning goals or benchmarks rather than on comparisons with peers. Assessments focusing solely on a student’s improvement over time are referred to as growth assessments, which track individual progress rather than comparing students against one another. Finally, assessments based on self-assessment rely on students evaluating their own performance and learning, shifting the focus from external comparison to personal reflection and self-awareness. Each of these alternatives fulfills different educational purposes and objectives outside the normative comparison focus of norm-referenced assessment.