Deviation value

That is a score used in TOEFL.

In Japan the score is widely used to determine the rank of various things, most notably in schools.

Deviation value was first introduced when I was in the first grade of junior high school. 75 is highest and 25 is lowest, 50 is average. All the scores of test are not comparable so indicated after its deviation was mended.

Since then as if everything is determined in deviation value. My deviation value was 67 when I entered a high school. It was more than 70 when I entered the university.

I had a chance to look up the deviation value of high schools. My cohabitant is graduated from high school. She said she's interested in knowing whereabouts of her school, so I looked it up.

The deviation value of my alma mater was 70, it rose up more than in the days I attended. The ranking among 6, 000 high schools is 80. Hers is 42 and the ranking is 5,000.

Deviation value or deviation standard index is from its origin a strange term. It indicates how deviating from ordinary normal standard. 70 means it is deviating +20 from average 50 index and 42 means -8 from average.

Deviation value has been criticised as accelerating discrimination among people, and I agree with the opinion. Deviation value is as if dividing in one centimetre out of total length of one kilometre. As if it is comparing 100070 and 100042. There's difference but it's trivial.

Very useless notion indeed. Deviation value is deviated itself. Deviated and valueless.