Stanford Achievement Test

The Stanford Achievement Test Series (publisher: Harcourt Assessment) is a set of 13 norm-referenced grade-level assessments of academic achievement in mathematics, reading, language, spelling, science, social science, and listening. The Stanford Early School Achievement Test levels are designed to assess initial school learning across kindergarten and the first half of first grade. The Stanford Achievement Test (Primary 1–3, Intermediate 1–3, and Advanced 1–2) spans the second half of first grade through ninth grade. Finally, the three-level Stanford Test of [Page 950]Academic Skills assesses performance on curricula in Grades 9 through 12.

This typically group-administered test is available in a number of formats, including general and secure forms, full-length and abbreviated batteries of multiple choice items, and large-print and Braille editions. Also, special screening procedures for assigning deaf and hard of hearing students to test levels have been developed by the Gallaudet Research Institute.

The test score metrics available to assist with the interpretation of student test performance include individual percentile rank, normal curve equivalent, stanine, grade equivalent, content cluster and process cluster performance category, and scaled score. The scaled score, derived from the vertical equating of test levels, is particularly useful for monitoring individual student achievement test results from year to year.

The design and materials for the latest (10th) edition of the Stanford were developed to conform to the 1999 AERA, APA, and NCME Standards for Educational and Psychological Testing. The design strategy emphasized universal design principles and visual characteristics that are appealing and resemble everyday instructional materials. Such features include full color “lifelike” illustrations, visually distinct framing of each question, placement of response bubbles on answer sheets to correspond with page and subtest location in the test booklet, and the absence of time constraints (although suggested testing times are given). Item development was responsive to widely promulgated national curriculum standards. To satisfy individual state academic standards, a core subset of items from the Stanford is augmented with specifically developed items on a state-by-state contract basis.

The Stanford was first published in 1923 by the World Book Company and is now published by Harcourt Assessment, the testing division of Reed Elsevier, which acquired Harcourt in 2001. The Stanford was developed for a longitudinal study of gifted children under the direction of Lewis M. Terman (1877–1956) and was first offered at only two elementary grade levels. The most recent update, the 10th edition, was normed in the spring and fall of 2002 and published in 2003. Regarded as the first standardized academic achievement test, the Stanford has remained a highly respected assessment instrument with excellent psychometric characteristics.