ABSTRACT
This chapter discusses the appropriate uses and limitations of assessments such as The National Assessment Program - Literacy and Numeracy (NAPLAN) tests. In educational measurement, student assessment data have often been scaled using item response modelling which is a statistical technique for summarising students' item responses into ability measures. Before examining the reliability and validity of NAPLAN results, first some observations about the general characteristics of student achievement as measured by NAPLAN are made. Apart from simple observations of student achievement as described, NAPLAN data have enabled researchers such as to carry out more in-depth analyses for longitudinal data to examine factors influencing student achievement, and such analyses have the potential for informing policy making. Finally this chapter examine that NAPLAN tests have many limitations in measuring individual students and evaluating teachers and schools. It also examines the extent to which student assessment results from tests like NAPLAN can be used to draw conclusions about students and teachers.
