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NAEP Analysis and Scaling → Estimation of NAEP Score Scales → Treatment of Items to Avoid Violations of Assumptions → Results of NAEP Differential Item Functioning Analyses → Results of NAEP Differential Item Functioning Analyses for the Mathematics Assessment in 2005

NAEP Technical DocumentationResults of NAEP Differential Item Functioning Analyses for the Mathematics Assessment in 2005

For dichotomously scored items, NAEP categorizes each item into one of three categories: "A" (items exhibiting no DIF), "B" (items exhibiting a weak indication of DIF), or "C" (items exhibiting a strong indication of DIF). A plus sign (+) indicates that items are differentially easier for the focal group (female, Black, or Hispanic students) than for the reference group (male or White students) after making an adjustment for the overall level of proficiency in the two groups; a minus sign (-) indicates that items are differentially more difficult for the focal group than for the reference group. For polytomously scored items, NAEP categorizes items into "AA", "BB", or "CC" categories and the plus or minus sign has the same interpretation as dichotomously scored items. After reviewing "C" and "CC" items, subject area specialists decided that no items were biased, so none were deleted from the scales for this reason.

Number of dichotomously scored items by grade and differential item functioning (DIF) category, mathematics combined national and state main assessment: 2005

Grade	DIF category	Female-male	Black-White	Hispanic-White
4	C-	0	1	2
	B-	4	4	2
	A	129	126	125
	B+	1	3	5
	C+	0	0	0
8	C-	0	0	0
	B-	9	1	4
	A	135	141	141
	B+	1	3	0
	C+	0	0	0
12	C-	2	0	1
	B-	5	3	7
	A	131	128	126
	B+	6	13	10
	C+	0	0	0
SOURCE: U.S. Department of Education, Institute of Education Sciences, National Center for Education Statistics, National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP), 2005 Mathematics Assessment.

Number of polytomously scored items by grade and differential item functioning (DIF) category, mathematics combined national and state main assessment: 2005

Grade	DIF category	Female-male	Black-White	Hispanic-White
4	CC-	0	0	0
	BB-	1	0	0
	AA	29	34	34
	BB+	4	0	0
	CC+	0	0	0
8	CC-	0	0	0
	BB-	0	2	1
	AA	31	30	31
	BB+	1	0	0
	CC+	0	0	0
12	CC-	0	0	0
	BB-	0	2	2
	AA	33	32	33
	BB+	3	2	1
	CC+	0	0	0
SOURCE: U.S. Department of Education, Institute of Education Sciences, National Center for Education Statistics, National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP), 2005 Mathematics Assessment.

Items identified as 'C' or 'CC' items in at least one comparison, by grade and block, mathematics combined national and state main assessment: 2005

Grade	Block	Item	Scale	Category	Comparison	Group favored
4	M6	M135601	Measurement	C	Black-White	White
	M6	M135601	Measurement	C	Hispanic-White	White
	M9	M039501	Measurement	C	Hispanic-White	White
12	M5	M056501	Number sense, properties, and operation	C	Female-male	Male
	M7	M134001	Data Analysis, Statistics and Probability	C	Hispanic-White	White
	M10	M011531	Algebra and functions	C	Female-male	Male
SOURCE: U.S. Department of Education, Institute of Education Sciences, National Center for Education Statistics, National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP), 2005 Mathematics Assessment.

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