Which assessment approach is designed to measure a student's progress toward the specific objectives of the current curriculum?

Which assessment approach is designed to measure a student's progress toward the specific objectives of the current curriculum?

• A. Curriculum-based assessment
• B. Norm-referenced testing
• C. Ipsative assessment
• D. Criterion-referenced testing

Answer: (A)

This approach measures progress toward what is being taught right now by using tasks drawn directly from the current curriculum. It’s designed to monitor a student’s growth over time on the specific objectives teachers are covering, providing frequent, instruction-aligned data so instruction can be adjusted as needed. That makes it especially useful for progress monitoring within a curriculum. Norm-referenced testing compares a student to peers, not to the current curriculum’s objectives. Ipsative assessment compares a student’s current performance to their own previous performance, which shows personal growth but not necessarily alignment with the curriculum’s specific objectives. Criterion-referenced testing checks mastery of predefined criteria or standards, but it doesn’t inherently provide ongoing progress data across the evolving curriculum.

This approach measures progress toward what is being taught right now by using tasks drawn directly from the current curriculum. It’s designed to monitor a student’s growth over time on the specific objectives teachers are covering, providing frequent, instruction-aligned data so instruction can be adjusted as needed. That makes it especially useful for progress monitoring within a curriculum.

Norm-referenced testing compares a student to peers, not to the current curriculum’s objectives. Ipsative assessment compares a student’s current performance to their own previous performance, which shows personal growth but not necessarily alignment with the curriculum’s specific objectives. Criterion-referenced testing checks mastery of predefined criteria or standards, but it doesn’t inherently provide ongoing progress data across the evolving curriculum.