Question

Learning outcomes are often reported in terms of standard deviations rather than raw test scores primarily because:

1) Standard deviations provide a measure of the spread of scores around the mean
2) Standard deviations allow for easier comparison between different groups or populations
3) Standard deviations provide a more accurate representation of individual student performance
4) Standard deviations are easier to calculate than raw test scores

Answer 1

Standard deviations are reported because they measure the spread of scores around the mean and allow for comparison between groups or populations.

Step-by-step explanation:

The main reason why learning outcomes are often reported in terms of standard deviations rather than raw test scores is because standard deviations provide a measure of the spread of scores around the mean. This allows us to understand how much individual scores deviate from the average score.

Additionally, standard deviations allow for easier comparison between different groups or populations as they provide a standardized measurement of variation that can be used to analyze performance across different contexts or samples.

It is important to note that standard deviations do not provide a more accurate representation of individual student performance compared to raw test scores and they are not necessarily easier to calculate than raw test scores.