Final answer:
Tests that measure progress toward meeting educational standards are either criterion-referenced or norm-referenced, but variations in state standards can lead to different measures of student proficiency.
Step-by-step explanation:
The type of test described measures progress toward meeting educational goals and standards as previously established by district or state guidelines. This kind of assessment is known as a criterion-referenced test or a norm-referenced test, with the former assessing a student's performance against defined criteria or learning standards, while the latter compares a student's performance to a norm group. However, standards are not uniform across states, leading to variations in how student proficiency is measured. Moreover, the phenomenon of teaching to the test, driven by policies such as the No Child Left Behind Act, has raised concerns about the potential narrowing of the curriculum and the pressure on schools and students associated with high-stakes testing.