Performance levels are based on scale scores. The scale score ranges for the four performance levels are shown on your Nevada Parent Report. These performance levels indicate the extent to which students have met the learning standards for their grade. The performance levels are: Level 4 (exceeds standard), Level 3 (meets standard), Level 2 (approaches standard), and Level 1 (emergent/developing).

Scale scores indicate student performance in each subject. Scale scores are reported instead of raw scores (number correct) because the meaning of the scale scores, and their ranges for each performance level, remain about the same year after year. Scale scores are translated from raw scores using a method which takes into account student ability, test difficulty, and student guessing.

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The Iowa Test of Basic Skills® shows how your child’s knowledge and skills compare with those of other tested students in the nation. The Nevada CRT tests student mastery of the Nevada Content Standards. Unlike the ITBS®, Nevada CRT scores are not based on results of other students.

You can use the ITBS® results to get an idea of how your child performed compared with other tested students in the nation. To learn more about your child’s knowledge of the Nevada Content Standards, talk with your child’s teacher.

Click here for a description of the ITBS® subtests in Reading and Mathematics.

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Your child's score on each test is measured as a percentile and as a quartile. Your child’s percentile indicates where your child’s performance falls relative to other tested students in the same grade. For example, a percentile score of 75 means that your child scored the same as or better than 75% of tested students in the nation.

Each quartile includes one quarter of the tested students. For example, the Bottom Quartile includes the lowest performing 25% of tested students in the nation, while the Top Quartile includes the highest performing 25% of tested students in the nation.

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Below are descriptions of the ITBS® subtests in Reading.

	Reading Vocabulary This is a test of your child's reading vocabulary development. Your child should be able to understand nouns, verbs, and modifiers, like adjectives, in the context of short phrases and sentences.

Reading Comprehension Whether your child is reading a magazine, newspaper, or classic novel, it is important to identify main ideas, make inferences, and generalize. When reading fiction, your child should think about how dialogue, symbolism, and word choice add to the impact of a text. When reading nonfiction, like articles on social studies, science topics, or a personal memoir, your child should consider how word choice contributes to the purpose of the text.

Below are descriptions of the ITBS® subtests in Mathematics.

	Mathematics Concepts and Estimation This subtest focuses on the meaning behind the math. Your child should be able to answer questions relating to number properties, operations, algebra, geometry, measurement, and probability and statistics. You child also must apply estimation skills in a variety of contexts.

	Mathematics Problems and Data Interpretation For this subtest, your child applies mathematics to solve “real world” problems. Your child should be able to select appropriate methods for problem solving in a variety of situations. Questions also include data presented in tables and graphs, which your child should be able to use to obtain information, compare quantities, and determine trends.

	Mathematics Computation Your child should be very familiar with how to add, subtract, multiply, and divide numbers. Every question on this subtest deals with one of these operations. Problems deal with whole numbers, fractions, decimals, and combinations of each.

Click here for more information on the ITBS® subtests in Reading and Mathematics.

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This information is not available for the Nevada CRT and ITBS® because test forms vary from year to year.

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Students in Grades 5 and 8 write an essay in response to a prompt on the Nevada Writing Assessment. The essay may be descriptive, expository, narrative, or persuasive.

	Descriptive writing describes a person, place, thing, or idea.

	Expository writing instructs, gives information, or explains a topic.

	Narrative writing tells a story by sharing the details of an experience.

	Persuasive writing tries to get the reader to agree with a writer’s opinion on a topic.

The scoring of the Nevada Writing Assessment is based on interrelated traits of good writing. The writing traits tested on the Writing Assessment are ideas, organization, voice, and conventions. Two trained teachers independently score your child’s essay on a scale of 1 to 5 each of the writing traits. A score of 3 or more demonstrates proficiency in that trait. A total score of 12 or more demonstrates overall proficiency on the Nevada Writing Assessment.

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	Ideas relate to the main purpose or thesis of the text. Ideas include supporting evidence, elaboration, anecdotes, images, or details that build understanding and hold a reader's attention.

	Organization is the structure of the text. Strong organization includes an introduction that draws the reader in. Throughout the body of the text, each piece of supporting evidence is clearly linked to the main purpose while including strong transitions that guide the reader. The text closes with a thought-provoking conclusion.

	Voice represents the personality of the writer. A strong writing voice is expressive, engaging, and convincing. The word choice brings the topic to life, and the reader feels a strong connection to both writer and text.

	Conventions include the nuts-and-bolts of good writing, like punctuation, spelling, grammar, usage, capitalization, paragraphing, and sentence structure.

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The recommendation in each topic is based on how your child scored compared to low-performing, middle-performing, and high-performing students. If your child's percent correct in a topic is similar to the percent correct scored by students in the high-performing group on the test overall, your child will receive a recommendation of Advanced Work in that topic. And conversely, if your child's percent correct in a topic is similar to the percent correct obtained by students in the lowest-performing groups on the test overall, your child will receive a recommendation of Help with Fundamentals in that topic.

The recommendations may not always seem obvious because different topics contain different numbers of hard and easy questions. For example, if a topic area contains mostly hard questions, even those students in the highest performing group may get many of the questions wrong in that topic. Thus, it is possible for your child to receive an Advanced Work recommendation in some cases where his or her percent correct may seem low. In such a case, students in the highest performing group generally had a low percent correct in that topic. The opposite can also occur with your child's receiving a Help with Fundamentals recommendation in some cases where his or her percent correct may seem high. In such a case, the questions in that topic may have been relatively easy, and students in the lowest-performing groups generally had a high percent correct in that topic.

Note: For this year's report, topic level scores typical of students in Level 1 and Level 2 are considered low performing (Help with Fundamentals), scores typical of students in Level 3 are considered middle performing (Additional Instruction and Practice), and scores typical of students in Level 4 are considered high performing (Advanced Work).

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There are various resources on this website that you can use with English language learners and Special Needs students. In particular, you might take advantage of the online resources available below and in the Additional Resources area of the website. You might also adapt the Math and Reading activities. For example, if you speak another language at home, try working with your child on math in ways that do not rely on English. Try giving problems involving symbols alone, and work in your native language. As you work together at home, help your child recognize his or her progress. Each time you work on these activities together, gather the work that your child has created in a folder to keep and share. Help your child recognize that the work you do together at home will help him or her to learn and grow in school. Encourage your child to be proud and positive as well as patient. Developing strong skills and language proficiency takes time and occurs over many years. In addition,, make sure you are working with your child's school and taking advantage of all the resources they have for Special Needs students and English language learners. The links below also contain useful information for working with your child.

Children and Adults with Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder http://chadd.org Children and Adults with Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (CHADD) is a national nonprofit organization providing education, advocacy, and support for individuals with AD/HD. The entire site is available in Spanish and English. CHADD also offers a National Resource Center on AD/HD: 1-800-233-4050 (Monday–Friday, 8:30 a.m.–5:00 p.m. Eastern time).

	Teaching Special Kids: On-Line Resources for Teachers http://www.education-world.com/a_curr/curr139.shtml This Education World® article is rich in lessons and activities for teachers of special needs students. Parents might try some of these activities at home. The article also provides many parent-friendly links for students with disabilities.

National Center to Improve Practice http://www2.edc.org/NCIP The National Center to Improve Practice (NCIP) promotes the effective use of technology to enhance educational outcomes for students with sensory, cognitive, physical, and social/emotional disabilities. This site index provides parents with a collection of resources about technology and special education, videos of students using assistive and instructional technologies, links to other special education and technology resources, and more.

	Frequently Asked Language Acquisition Questions http://www.ncela.gwu.edu/expert/faq This is a list of frequently asked questions put together by the National Clearing House for English Acquisition. This page also has a link to a glossary of useful English language learner terms.

	Resources for Parents about Language Acquisition http://www.ncela.gwu.edu/spotlight/1_parents.html This link, also from the National Clearing House for English Acquisition, provides resources for parents looking to facilitate their child's learning both in school and at home.

	100 Ways for Parents to be Involved in Their Child's Education http://www.pta.org/spanish/brochure.asp This Spanish-language version of a National PTA publication suggests 100 Ways for Parents to be Involved in Their Child’s Education.

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Visit the Nevada Department of Education “Nevada Accountability Report” website at http://www.nevadareportcard.com to look up information about your child’s school, including contact information. After you have chosen the “School” button in the “Profile” row on the main page, choose your district’s name and school’s name from the drop-down menus. The contact information will be shown at the top of the web report.

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Become familiar with the types of questions on the Nevada CRT Reading and Math tests by visiting the Nevada Department of Education website at http://www.doe.nv.gov/statetesting/critreftests.html and looking at the sample questions in the Review Guides.

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If you did not receive your child’s report, contact his or her school. Ask a teacher or administrator when the report was sent home with your child. The school should also have a copy of the report.

If data for your child was not available, please go to your child’s school to pick up a generic report.

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If you have misplaced your report and cannot obtain a copy from your school, contact The Grow Network’s support team via e-mail at support@grow.net.

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