D184 Practice Exam Questions with Verified
Correct Answers
What is a benefit of a standards-based grading system for high-achieving students?
a. Instruction can be easily adjusted to provide new, more complex learning targets.
b. It is easy to keep high-achieving students motivated with high scores on most assignments.
c. High-achieving students can be identified easily by comparing student scores.
d. It is easy to create special assignments and extra credit opportunities for high-achieving
students.
a. Instruction can be easily adjusted to provide new, more complex learning targets.
How is a narrative-based system different than a standards-based grading system?
a. The narrative grading system uses proficiency scores to a great extent, but the standards-
based grading system does not.
b. The standards-based grading system uses proficiency scores, but the narrative grading
system does not.
c. The narrative grading system is used to determine proficiency scores for written tasks, while
the standards-based system is used for other performance tasks.
d. The standards-based system is used to report state-level proficiency scores, while the
narrative grading system is used for informal evaluations.
b. The standards-based grading system uses proficiency scores, but the narrative grading system
does not.
Which factor distinguishes norm-referenced grading from standards-based grading?
a. Grade point average (GPA)
b. Performance of the rest of the class
c. Definition of grading standards
d. State accountability standards
b. Performance of the rest of the class
,What is a benefit of using standards-based grading compared to norm-referenced grading?
a. Standards-based grading provides more feedback than norm-referenced grading.
b. Standards-based grading is more open to adjustments in instruction than norm-referenced
grading.
c. Standards-based grading is easier for score users to understand than norm-referenced
grading.
d. Standards-based grading is more focused on the learning targets than norm-referenced
grading.
d. Standards-based grading is more focused on the learning targets than norm-referenced
grading.
Why do teachers only grade student work related to the achievement of learning targets in
standards-based grading systems?
a. Behaviors like participation and attendance are too subjective to grade.
b. Behaviors like participation and attendance are not as important as learning targets.
c. Teachers are able to help students focus on learning goals and track their progress.
d. Teachers are able to assign more assessments and provide more frequent feedback.
c. Teachers are able to help students focus on learning goals and track their progress.
A grading scale reflects the following details:
4 achievement levels — Advanced
3 achievement levels — Meets expectations
2 achievement levels — Partial mastery
1 achievement level — Little or no mastery
Which grading system does this grading scale represent?
a. Norm-referenced grading
b. Standards-based grading
c. Criterion-referenced grading
d. Percentage-based grading
b. Standards-based grading
How do standards-based grading systems support struggling students compared to other
common grading systems?
, a. By giving fewer summative assessments
b. By focusing on positive feedback rather than negative feedback
c. By allowing students to redo lessons and assignments as many times as necessary
d. By providing many easy-to-master assignments
c. By allowing students to redo lessons and assignments as many times as necessary
What is one difference between using criterion-referenced scoring in standards-based grading
systems as opposed to using norm-referenced scoring?
a. Criterion-referenced scoring is easier to use when determining class rank than norm-
referenced scoring.
b. Criterion-referenced scoring is not used on standardized tests, while norm-referenced
scoring is.
c. Criterion-referenced scoring uses standards that are easier to adjust than those used in
norm-referenced scoring.
d. Criterion-referenced scoring measures student progress toward mastery of specific criteria,
while norm-referenced scoring measures progress relative to percentiles.
d. Criterion-referenced scoring measures student progress toward mastery of specific criteria,
while norm-referenced scoring measures progress relative to percentiles.
What is a criticism of standards-based grading systems?
a. They do not reflect students' proficiency in soft skills such as time management and
creativity.
b. They do not account for student behavior issues, so classroom management is more
challenging.
c. They reduce the level of complexity to oversimplified learning targets, so students are not
challenged enough.
d. They require more one-on-one instruction, which is not realistic for schools without block
schedules.
a. They do not reflect students' proficiency in soft skills such as time management and creativity.
Which problematic assessment practice does standards-based grading help teachers avoid?
a. Sampling one individual standard rather than multiple standards
b. Merging state and district standards
c. Unpacking sets of standards
d. Tagging multiple standards
Correct Answers
What is a benefit of a standards-based grading system for high-achieving students?
a. Instruction can be easily adjusted to provide new, more complex learning targets.
b. It is easy to keep high-achieving students motivated with high scores on most assignments.
c. High-achieving students can be identified easily by comparing student scores.
d. It is easy to create special assignments and extra credit opportunities for high-achieving
students.
a. Instruction can be easily adjusted to provide new, more complex learning targets.
How is a narrative-based system different than a standards-based grading system?
a. The narrative grading system uses proficiency scores to a great extent, but the standards-
based grading system does not.
b. The standards-based grading system uses proficiency scores, but the narrative grading
system does not.
c. The narrative grading system is used to determine proficiency scores for written tasks, while
the standards-based system is used for other performance tasks.
d. The standards-based system is used to report state-level proficiency scores, while the
narrative grading system is used for informal evaluations.
b. The standards-based grading system uses proficiency scores, but the narrative grading system
does not.
Which factor distinguishes norm-referenced grading from standards-based grading?
a. Grade point average (GPA)
b. Performance of the rest of the class
c. Definition of grading standards
d. State accountability standards
b. Performance of the rest of the class
,What is a benefit of using standards-based grading compared to norm-referenced grading?
a. Standards-based grading provides more feedback than norm-referenced grading.
b. Standards-based grading is more open to adjustments in instruction than norm-referenced
grading.
c. Standards-based grading is easier for score users to understand than norm-referenced
grading.
d. Standards-based grading is more focused on the learning targets than norm-referenced
grading.
d. Standards-based grading is more focused on the learning targets than norm-referenced
grading.
Why do teachers only grade student work related to the achievement of learning targets in
standards-based grading systems?
a. Behaviors like participation and attendance are too subjective to grade.
b. Behaviors like participation and attendance are not as important as learning targets.
c. Teachers are able to help students focus on learning goals and track their progress.
d. Teachers are able to assign more assessments and provide more frequent feedback.
c. Teachers are able to help students focus on learning goals and track their progress.
A grading scale reflects the following details:
4 achievement levels — Advanced
3 achievement levels — Meets expectations
2 achievement levels — Partial mastery
1 achievement level — Little or no mastery
Which grading system does this grading scale represent?
a. Norm-referenced grading
b. Standards-based grading
c. Criterion-referenced grading
d. Percentage-based grading
b. Standards-based grading
How do standards-based grading systems support struggling students compared to other
common grading systems?
, a. By giving fewer summative assessments
b. By focusing on positive feedback rather than negative feedback
c. By allowing students to redo lessons and assignments as many times as necessary
d. By providing many easy-to-master assignments
c. By allowing students to redo lessons and assignments as many times as necessary
What is one difference between using criterion-referenced scoring in standards-based grading
systems as opposed to using norm-referenced scoring?
a. Criterion-referenced scoring is easier to use when determining class rank than norm-
referenced scoring.
b. Criterion-referenced scoring is not used on standardized tests, while norm-referenced
scoring is.
c. Criterion-referenced scoring uses standards that are easier to adjust than those used in
norm-referenced scoring.
d. Criterion-referenced scoring measures student progress toward mastery of specific criteria,
while norm-referenced scoring measures progress relative to percentiles.
d. Criterion-referenced scoring measures student progress toward mastery of specific criteria,
while norm-referenced scoring measures progress relative to percentiles.
What is a criticism of standards-based grading systems?
a. They do not reflect students' proficiency in soft skills such as time management and
creativity.
b. They do not account for student behavior issues, so classroom management is more
challenging.
c. They reduce the level of complexity to oversimplified learning targets, so students are not
challenged enough.
d. They require more one-on-one instruction, which is not realistic for schools without block
schedules.
a. They do not reflect students' proficiency in soft skills such as time management and creativity.
Which problematic assessment practice does standards-based grading help teachers avoid?
a. Sampling one individual standard rather than multiple standards
b. Merging state and district standards
c. Unpacking sets of standards
d. Tagging multiple standards
