What the Evaluation Report Means: The Scores Explained
Evaluation reports differ, and Learning Success holds no source on how they are laid out. This page explains the scores. A standard score compares your child with children the same age. On most tests, 100 is average. A percentile rank of 25 means your child scored above about 25 of every 100 children the same age.
TL;DR
- Evaluation reports differ. We hold no source on how they are laid out. This page explains the parts we can, above all the scores.
- A standard score compares your child with children the same age. On most tests, 100 is average. About two in three children score between 85 and 115. A standard score is not a mark out of 100.
- A percentile rank of 25 means your child scored above about 25 of every 100 children the same age. It does not mean your child got 25 percent right.
- Every score has some error. So a report often gives a range, like 88 to 98. A score is one measurement on one day.
- A diagnosis comes from a full evaluation by a qualified professional. It uses history, school reports and standardized tests, not one score.
A standard score compares your child with children the same age. On most tests, 100 is average. About two in three children score between 85 and 115. A standard score is not a mark out of 100.
”Standard scoreWhat you may find in a report
Reports differ. We hold no source on how these reports are laid out. So this page does not give you a fixed list of sections. Here are parts you may see, and what we can tell you about each.
A report may name the tests that were used. It may give scores in a table.
If a word on the report is new to you, circle it. Then ask the evaluator what it means.
The tests that were used
A report may name each test by its short name. Reading tests you may see include the CTOPP-2, TOWRE-2, WIAT-4 and Woodcock-Johnson V. Our page on common reading tests describes each one as its publisher does. We do not rate one test as better than another.
You may also see DIBELS named, from school. DIBELS is a set of short reading checks, about one minute each. Schools use it to spot children who may need a closer look. They also use it to track progress. This description of DIBELS comes from its publisher's own page. We have not read the test manuals. DIBELS is not a diagnosis.
Standard scores
Here is where a standard score comes from. The test was first given to a group of children the same age. Your child's score shows where they stand next to that group.
Smaller parts of a test, called subtests, often use a scale where 10 is average. This is called a scaled score.
Percentile ranks
A percentile rank of 25 means your child scored above about 25 of every 100 children the same age. It does not mean your child got 25 percent right.
So a percentile is a place in a line of children. It is not a grade on a quiz.
Score ranges
Every score has some error. So a report often gives a range, like 88 to 98. The range is where the score would probably fall on a retest. Some reports call it a confidence interval.
Two scores whose ranges overlap may not really differ. A score is one measurement on one day.
Age and grade equivalents, and other scores
A report may also give age or grade equivalents. Ask the evaluator to explain them.
You may see other score names too, like stanines. Ask about any score name you do not know.
What a diagnosis rests on
A diagnosis comes from a full evaluation by a qualified professional. It uses history, school reports and standardized tests, not one score.
The American Psychiatric Association has a page on this. It is from 2024. It sums up the criteria for a learning disorder. It lists four. Here they are in our own words.
- Trouble with reading, writing, spelling or math has lasted six months or more. It has lasted even with help aimed at it.
- Skills are well below what is expected at the child's age. This is based on standardized tests of school skills and a full check by a clinician.
- The trouble starts in the school years.
- Other conditions, lack of teaching or language do not explain it.
That page says a diagnosis uses observation, interviews, family history and school reports. That page sums up the DSM-5, a diagnostic manual. It is not the manual itself.
A school decision and a clinical opinion
The American Psychiatric Association says a school district can arrange testing, if a child meets certain criteria. It says some parents go to a psychologist or another education specialist outside school.
A school evaluation decides whether a child gets school services. A clinical diagnosis is made by a qualified clinician. These are two different jobs. Your report may come from the school or from someone outside school. For the school route, see our testing guide.
Questions to ask the evaluator
These questions are ours. Take them with you when you go over the report.
- Which tests did you use, and why those ones?
- What range does each score sit in?
- Do any of the ranges overlap? Do those scores really differ?
- What does an age or grade equivalent on this report mean?
- What do the results suggest for teaching my child?
Bring your own notes too. You know how your child reads at home.
Key Takeaways
Evaluation reports differ. We hold no source on how they are laid out. Ask the evaluator about any part you do not follow.
A standard score compares your child with children the same age. On most tests, 100 is average. A standard score is not a mark out of 100.
A percentile rank of 25 means your child scored above about 25 of every 100 children the same age. It does not mean your child got 25 percent right.
Every score has some error. Two scores whose ranges overlap may not really differ.
A report may also give age or grade equivalents. Ask the evaluator to explain them.
A school evaluation decides whether a child gets school services. A clinical diagnosis is made by a qualified clinician.
Take out the report. Circle each score name you see, like standard score or percentile rank. Next to each one, write one question for the evaluator. Bring the list when you talk with them.
”What to do tonightWhat to use next
A set of questions you answer about what you see at home. A screener is a starting point, not a diagnosis. If your child might need formal accommodations (an IEP or 504 plan), or you suspect a vision, hearing, or medical cause, pursue a professional evaluation too — that's the only route to those supports.
Sound-based decoding difficulty, and why it is not the letter-reversal picture.
A short reading and spelling practice. Each word appears letter by letter. The picture comes only once the word is complete. So guessing from the image is not available. It includes writing words from memory. That practices the spelling and the writing of a word at the same time.
Common questions from parents
What does a standard score of 100 mean?
A standard score compares your child with children the same age. On most tests, 100 is average. About two in three children score between 85 and 115. A standard score is not a mark out of 100. A score is one measurement on one day.
Is a percentile rank the same as a percent correct?
No. A percentile rank of 25 means your child scored above about 25 of every 100 children the same age. It does not mean your child got 25 percent right.
How do I read a psychoeducational report?
Evaluation reports differ, and we hold no source on how they are laid out. We suggest you start with the scores. A standard score compares your child with children the same age. On most tests, 100 is average. Every score has some error. So a report often gives a range, like 88 to 98. Ask the evaluator to explain any part you do not follow.
Can one score tell me if my child has dyslexia?
No. A diagnosis comes from a full evaluation by a qualified professional. It uses history, school reports and standardized tests, not one score. A score is one measurement on one day. Ask the evaluator to talk you through all the results.
Is the Learning Success screener a test like these?
No. Our dyslexia screener is not a test like these. It is a set of questions you answer about what you see at home. It gives no scores like these. A screener is a starting point, not a diagnosis. If your child might need formal accommodations (an IEP or 504 plan), or you suspect a vision, hearing, or medical cause, pursue a professional evaluation too — that's the only route to those supports.
Does a math evaluation report read the same way?
The score types on this page are not special to reading. A standard score, a percentile rank and a range mean the same on a math test. The tests differ. One math test is the KeyMath-3, from Pearson. Its publisher says its 10 parts cover basic concepts, operations and applications. The WIAT-4 and Woodcock-Johnson V also have math parts. These test descriptions come from the publishers' own pages. A math evaluation looks at the areas the American Psychiatric Association's public page lists for trouble with math. They are number sense, memorizing number facts, accurate or fluent calculation, and math reasoning. We do not rate one test as better than another.
Does a writing evaluation report read the same way?
The score types on this page are not special to reading. A standard score, a percentile rank and a range mean the same on a writing test. The tests differ. One writing test is the TOWL-4. A Pearson listing says it has seven parts. They look at different sides of a student's writing. One handwriting-speed test is the DASH-2, from Pearson. UK guidance on it says it gives scaled and standard scores (SASC, 2024). That guidance gives no words-per-minute table. The test's norms come from the UK, Australia and New Zealand. The guidance says the test is "Not designed to diagnose dysgraphia." It says the test "can assist in the diagnostic process." We do not rate one test as better than another.