Why the Comparison Group Matters: The WJ V Norming Advantage

Why the Comparison Group Matters: The WJ V Norming Advantage

Every standard score you report carries a hidden reference group, and most evaluators couldn’t tell you exactly who is in it. Before an 85 means anything, there is a question every defensible evaluation should be able to answer: Who was this student compared to, and when did that comparison group go to school?

This session takes a practical look at normative samples — what makes them representative, how age, geography, demographic characteristics, and weighting influence the scores we interpret, and why simply asking “How old is the test?” misses the bigger issue. We’ll examine the Flynn effect and more recent changes in population-level performance, explore what post-pandemic-era norms can and cannot tell us, and consider why co-norming matters when evaluators examine patterns across cognitive, achievement, and Virtual Test Library measures. Then we’ll put it into practice through a case study. You’ll examine a student whose initial evaluation relied on measures normed years apart and on different populations, creating a score pattern that looked compelling on paper but became much less convincing once the underlying comparison groups were examined. Finally, we’ll move beyond standard scores to consider how the Relative Proficiency Index (RPI) adds another layer of meaning by describing a student’s predicted proficiency with age- or grade-level tasks.

You’ll leave with a framework for evaluating the normative foundation of any assessment instrument — not just the WJ V — along with report-ready language and practical strategies for explaining and defending your assessment choices in eligibility meetings.

Continuing Education Credit:
Participants who attend majority of the live session will be eligible to receive CEUs. Additional details regarding CE credit requirements and documentation will be provided during the webinar

Learning Objectives

1. Explain how the recency, composition, and representativeness of a normative sample influence score interpretation.
2. Describe how co-norming strengthens the interpretation of patterns across cognitive, achievement, and Virtual Test Library measures.
3. Distinguish between what post-pandemic-era norms can and cannot tell evaluators about student performance.
4. Integrate current norms, co-normed comparison data, and the Relative Proficiency Index (RPI) when interpreting results within a comprehensive evaluation.
5. Communicate the importance of current, representative norming practices to multidisciplinary teams, administrators, and families.

About The Speaker: 

Becki Robertson, M.Ed. is a national presenter and experienced practitioner with more than 30 years of service as a public-school educational diagnostician, including leadership roles, preceded by work as both a general and special education teacher. She currently serves as Senior Product Advocate for the Woodcock-Johnson® V at Riverside Insights and as a field supervisor in an educational diagnostician certification program, supporting the preparation and professional growth of evaluation staff. Her professional interests include specific learning disability evaluations, assessment of low-incidence populations, and the application of learning theory to evidence-based evaluation and intervention practices. Outside of her professional work, Becki enjoys outdoor activities, running, crafting, and woodworking.