Introduction

ACER's Progressive Achievement Tests are an Australian, nationally normed series of tests designed to provide objective information to teachers about their students' skills and understandings in a range of key areas. Created and improved over many years by ACER's team of test developers and psychometricians, PAT tests help in understanding students' current strengths and weaknesses, informing teaching and learning, and monitoring progress over time. PAT Essentials is a collection of tools, resources and materials to support teachers and educators who use PAT tests in their schools. It contains a series of booklets in four categories: Foundations, Resources, Professional Learning and Principles. These categories address different levels of experience and different uses of assessment data.