Error Ratio Analysis

Abstract

Special and general educators have frequently felt either untrained or bound by time constraints in using existing techniques of informal assessment. We present a description and demonstration of the use of error ratio analysis, a simple technique for assessing mathematics performance. Eighty-seven elementary students in grades 4,5, and 6, were administered a 30-item multiplication instrument to assess performance in computation across grade levels. Sets of problems ranged in difficulty from single-digit by single-digit without regrouping, through three-digit by three-digit with regrouping. The response variability in each type of item was inspected and an error ratio analysis was conducted for each type of problem. We provide an interpretation of student performance using error ratio analysis, and suggest the use of this method with groups of students for instructional decision making.