What does reliability in an assessment indicate?

Reliability in an assessment refers to its ability to produce stable and consistent results over time and across different contexts. This means that if the same assessment were administered multiple times under similar conditions, it would yield similar scores, indicating that the assessment is measuring what it is intended to measure in a dependable way. High reliability suggests that the results are trustworthy and can be used confidently for decision-making, such as evaluating student achievement or informing instructional practices.

This concept is vital in educational settings to ensure that the assessments are impartial and that variations in results are due to changes in the students' knowledge or skills, rather than inconsistencies in the assessment itself. Reliable assessments can contribute significantly to educators' understanding of student progress and help to identify areas where further support may be needed.