Discrepancies between standardised testing and teacher judgements in an Australian primary school context

Abstract

This study compares the judgments that teachers make on their students' mathematics achievement with results taken from Australia's National Assessment Program: Literacy and Numeracy (NAPLAN). Using a sample of 2144 students, drawn from the Longitudinal Study of Australian Children (LSAC), the study develops two regression models: one with teacher ratings of achievement as the outcome variable, and the other with NAPLAN numeracy results as the outcome. A number of individual and environmental factors are then regressed onto these outcome variables, and the magnitudes of their effects are compared. The results indicate a consistency between teachers’ judgements and NAPLAN test results, except for students with special needs, where a significant discrepancy exists. Implications of these results are discussed.