The Hippocratic Oath and Grade Equivalents
Explains what grade equivalents are and how the Lexile/Quanitle measures are different.
Medical researchers and practitioners often cite Hippocrates’ famous adage, “Above all, do no harm.” Implicit in this statement is that all actions are not helpful and, in fact, can be harmful. While we typically think of the Hippocratic Oath in terms of medical treatments, the principle also applies to the assessment of students’ reading and mathematics abilities. For years, the educational measurement community has lamented the practice of reporting students’ abilities as grade equivalents. And yet, some assessments continue to measure performance using these inaccurate and often misleading metrics.
Citation
Smith, M. (2009). The Hippocratic Oath and Grade Equivalents. MetaMetrics, Inc.