Information on the background characteristics and lifestyles of young people enables us to understand, and plan for, youth transitions. Linking data from the Longitudinal Surveys of Australian Youth (LSAY) with external data sources would improve the breadth of information available from the survey, without adding burden to respondents.

This project assesses the feasibility of linking National Assessment Program - Literacy and Numeracy (NAPLAN) scores to LSAY data (which contain data from the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development's (OECD) Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA)). It also determines the similarity between NAPLAN and PISA in measuring underlying academic achievement.

This report shows that it is technically feasible to link NAPLAN scores to LSAY records; a linking rate of 98% was achieved for consenting LSAY participants.