What does the term 'item analysis' refer to in assessments?

The term 'item analysis' specifically refers to the examination of individual test questions to evaluate their quality. This process involves looking at how well each question performs in terms of distinguishing between students who understand the material and those who do not. Factors such as difficulty level, discrimination index, and the frequency of guessing are often examined during item analysis.

By assessing these elements, educators can determine which questions are effective at measuring student understanding and which may need to be revised or replaced. This can lead to improved assessments that better evaluate student learning outcomes.

In contrast, the other options relate to different aspects of educational assessment. The review of student demographic data is more focused on analyzing the characteristics of the student population rather than the assessment itself. Analyzing grading rubrics looks at how assessments are scored and provides guidance on application but does not focus on the quality of individual questions. Finally, designing new assessment formats involves creating new methods of evaluation, which is a different process from evaluating existing test questions.