Science Literacy 2006 school release materials - NAP

Appendix ANational Assessment Program– Science Literacy, Year 6, 2006:Level DescriptorsSample items and Proficiency LevelsAs shown in Table 7.2, items comprising the scientific literacy assessment havebeen partitioned into Proficiency Levels.To establish Proficiency Levels, a combination of expert knowledge of the skillsrequired to answer each of the science items and results from the analysis ofstudents’ responses was used.Items located within one of the five Proficiency Levels were judged by subjectexperts to share similar features and requirements and to differ in recognisableways from items at other levels.Table A.1 provides a description of the level of knowledge and skills assessed byitems operating at each Proficiency Level. Items at the higher Proficiency Levelsrequire more demanding skills and understandings to answer than do items atlower Proficiency Levels.In relation to the item analysis sheet in Table 7.2, it may be expected that thepercentage correct for the items increases as the Proficiency Level decreases.55