Item report
Description
The Item report provides a curricular breakdown (by Nature of Science (NOS) sub-strand and science capability) of all questions (items) within a test. It indicates what percentage of the group of students answered each item successfully. It also compares the success of the group on the questions with the success of students from the national reference group at a given year level. Features of the Item report include:
- description of each test item with the identified NOS sub-strand and science capability categories
- graphical representation of group performance on each question compared to the national reference group
- links to the individual item report
- data in each field (question number, NOS sub-strand, science capability, percentage correct and national percentage correct) can be ordered.
Using the Item report
This report can provide a very useful summary of the interpretation of the ‘Thinking with Evidence’ required in the tests. Use the item report to:
- find trends and patterns, strengths, and weaknesses that exist in the test group by NOS sub-strand and/or capability
- compare what students in your group find difficult with what students in the norming study, found difficult and ask why
- click on the question number to link to the individual item report to investigate the skills needed to answer any particular item
- identify next learning steps or learning opportunities
- identify specific cohorts who require more in-depth teaching in defined areas
- follow hunches, “informal conclusions”, to identify actual needs.
Sample of an Item report
Examples of how to read the data
Question 7 is from the NOS sub-strand; Investigating in science, and assesses the science capability, Gather and interpret data. The item is described as identifying similarities between two leaves. 42.9% of the group got this question correct (green shading) compared with 54% of the national reference group (red triangle).
Question 8 is also is from the NOS sub-strand; Investigating in science, and assesses the science capability, Gather and interpret data. The item is described as identifying differences between two leaves. 85.7% of the group got this question correct (green shading) compared with 58% of the national reference group (red triangle).
If you compare questions 7 and 8 you can see that the class found identifying differences much easier than identifying similarities in leaf patterns. If this was your class, you might like to find opportunities for students to practice looking for similarities in patterns.
Next page: Individual test item report