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What do these
scores mean?

Pick the kind of report, type the numbers you see, and get each one explained in plain words: what it means, what it does not mean, questions to ask the teacher and what to do next.

Explain my reportHow to read any score

1. What kind of report is it?

Paste the report text instead (optional)

Copy the text from an online report and paste it here. The page looks for numbers it recognizes and fills them in. The text stays on this device: it is read by this page and never uploaded.

2. Type the numbers you see

Fill in only what your report shows. Leave the rest blank. Copy labels word for word.

Private by design: what you type is kept only in this browser so it is there when you come back, and Clear everything deletes it. Nothing is sent to Caveat or anyone else. Do not type your child's name; this page never needs it.

How to read any score report

Five ideas cover most of what families see.

  1. A percentile compares; a percent counts. The 40th percentile means scoring as high as or higher than about 40 of every 100 students in a comparison group. It is not 40% correct.
  2. Scale scores only compare with themselves. Every test has its own scale. A 210 on one test and a 210 on another mean different things.
  3. Levels and benchmarks come from cut scores the test maker or state sets. Use the report's own labels. This page never guesses a cut score.
  4. Every score has a margin. A score range or confidence interval shows where the score would likely land on another day.
  5. Growth is its own story. A low score with strong growth means the gap is closing. Ask about both.

Screening, testing and evaluation are different

School benchmark tests such as Acadience, DIBELS, MAP Growth, i-Ready and STAR are given to many students to decide who needs a closer look and to plan teaching. State tests measure how students did on the state's standards that year. An evaluation is an in-depth look at one child, by qualified examiners, and it is what a team uses to decide whether a child has a disability and needs special education.

None of the first two can diagnose anything. If several results point the same way, or the numbers match a worry you already had, that is a good reason to talk to the school. Under federal law (IDEA), a parent can ask the school in writing to evaluate a child at any time.

Free and paid next steps

From Caveat, in plain words.

Caveat Lens screenersScreeners for grades 1 to 8 that a parent gives at home, to help decide whether to ask for a full evaluation. Screening, not diagnosis.From $29Math Foundations with PlacementGrades 3 to 8: a twenty-minute placement check, then the lessons for the skills to build, in order, with weekly checks.$24Structured Literacy for Older ReadersGrades 4 to 9: sounds, syllables, word parts and fluency for students who missed the decoding foundation.$49Explain my IEPPaste parts of the IEP and get a plain-language explanation of each section and questions for the next meeting.From $9IEP meeting prep kitA child profile, a parent concerns statement and questions for your next IEP or 504 meeting.From $9Is my child on grade level? Free quick checksShort reading and math checks for kindergarten to grade 8 that report skills, not labels.FreeTesting Accommodations GuideState tests, the SAT, PSAT, AP and ACT: how accommodations are requested.Free

This explainer gives general meanings of common score types. It is not an interpretation of your child's results, a diagnosis, or psychological, educational or legal advice. Every test publisher and state sets its own scales, norms, cut scores and labels; your report and the people who gave the test are the authority on what your numbers mean. NWEA and MAP Growth are trademarks of NWEA; i-Ready is a trademark of Curriculum Associates; Acadience is a trademark of Acadience Learning; DIBELS is a trademark of the University of Oregon; Star Assessments are a product of Renaissance Learning; Lexile and Quantile are trademarks of MetaMetrics; SAT, PSAT/NMSQT and AP are trademarks of the College Board; ACT is a trademark of ACT Education Corp. Each belongs to its owner. None of them is affiliated with or endorses Caveat.

The other branches

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Resources made to order, free tools, professional development, certification prep.

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Self-paced courses for grades 6 to 12, from full-year classes to AP and SAT prep.

For college-bound students and familiesCaveat College

College credit in high school, the college list, applications, paying for college and the move to college.

For families with questions about learningCaveat Lens

Screeners for grades 1 to 8 that help you decide whether to ask for a full evaluation.

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Feelings, friendships and self-regulation, for students, families and teachers.

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A free Career Explorer, career pathways and electives, and getting ready for a first job.

The Caveat Family Guide to College is general information, not legal, tax or financial advice. Each college decides admission, aid and how credit counts, and requirements change; check each college's own pages. Examples are examples, not promises. Caveat Academic Services is an independent college preparation company. Students do all of their own work.