How have the West Australian tests been developed?
Extensive consultation with classroom teachers has been a feature of the development of the tests. The WALNA tests are written to cater for the diverse range of students in Western Australian schools and to ensure there is no systematic bias associated with such factors as gender, culture or geographic location. For WALNA 2003/4, the development of the tests was undertaken by the Australian Council for Educational Research, in close conjunction with educators from all sectors in Western Australia. Western Australian teachers along with others with expertise in the area of literacy developed the writing task. While the tests give an indication of how students perform in relation to the National Benchmark, they also measure student performance in relation to the Outcomes and Standards Framework. The reports give an indication of how the student has performed on this test in relation to these levels.
