What type of assessment is specifically designed to evaluate students against standards rather than peers?

Criterion-referenced assessment is specifically designed to measure a student's performance against a predefined set of standards or learning objectives, rather than comparing them to the performance of their peers. This type of assessment establishes clear expectations for what students need to know and be able to do at a specific level of education, allowing educators to determine whether each student has met those standards.

In a criterion-referenced assessment, the focus is on the individual's understanding and mastery of the content, providing valuable feedback to both the student and the instructor. This type of assessment helps to identify specific areas where a student may need additional support or improvement, ensuring that the evaluation is aligned with the curriculum rather than a relative position among classmates.

In contrast, norm-referenced assessments rank students against one another, which can distort the understanding of what each student has actually learned or achieved in relation to the learning goals set by the curriculum. Performance assessments and self-assessments, while valuable in their contexts, may not specifically address the standards-based evaluation as clearly as criterion-referenced assessments do.