The Words We Use:  A Glossary of Terms for Early Childhood Education Standards and Assessment ACHIEVEMENT TEST » Definition » Related Terms (Not Synonyms) » Explanatory Comments » Web Sources » Other Resources   Definition A testing instrument, typically standardized and norm referenced, used to measure how much a child has learned in relation to educational objectives. Related Terms (Not Synonyms) Aptitude test; Norm-referenced test; Readiness test; Standardized test; Test Explanatory Comments The purpose of an achievement test is to measure the outcome of past experiences; aptitude tests look at the potential for future achievement. For an achievement test to be valid, whatever is tested needs to have been taught (content validity); for aptitude tests, predictive validity is necessary. In practice even the most expert have trouble distinguishing between achievement tests and aptitude tests because both can predict future achievement. Web Sources Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development. (2002). A lexicon of learning: What educators mean when they say… Retrieved May 19, 2003, from http://www.ascd.org/educationnews/lexicon/a.html Other Resources Gage, N.L., & Berliner, D. (1998). Educational psychology. (6th ed.). Boston, MA: Houghton Mifflin. McAfee, O. & Leong, D.J. (2002). Assessing and guiding young children's development and learning. Boston, MA: Allyn & Bacon. » Back to List of Terms

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document last updated 8/21/2009