NAEP Technical DocumentationResults of NAEP Differential Item Functioning Analyses for the Reading 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, reading combined national and state main assessment: 2005
Grade	DIF category	Female-male	Black-White	Hispanic-White
4	C-	0	0	0
	B-	1	2	1
	A	75	74	75
	B+	0	0	0
	C+	0	0	0
8	C-	1	0	0
	B-	5	4	5
	A	98	94	94
	B+	2	6	6
	C+	0	2	1
12	C-	1	0	1
	B-	11	5	4
	A	72	75	72
	B+	1	7	10
	C+	2	0	0
SOURCE: U.S. Department of Education, Institute of Education Sciences, National Center for Education Statistics, National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP), 2005 Reading Assessment.

Number of polytomously scored items by grade and differential item functioning (DIF) category, reading combined national and state main assessment: 2005
Grade	DIF category	Female-male	Black-White	Hispanic-White
4	CC-	0	0	0
	BB-	0	0	0
	AA	23	23	23
	BB+	0	0	0
	CC+	0	0	0
8	CC-	0	0	0
	BB-	0	0	0
	AA	35	34	36
	BB+	1	2	0
	CC+	0	0	0
12	CC-	0	0	1
	BB-	0	2	1
	AA	27	26	24
	BB+	1	0	2
	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 Reading Assessment.

Items identified as 'C' or 'CC' items in at least one comparison, by grade and block, reading combined national and state main assessment: 2005
Grade	Block	Item	Scale	Category	Comparison	Group favored
8	R7	R012707	Information	C	Hispanic-White	Hispanic
	R10	R013402	Task	C	Black-White	Black
	R12	R053210	Literary	C	Female-male	Male
	R14	R026501	Information	C	Black-White	Black
12	R3	R017108	Literary	C	Hispanic-White	White
	R4	R013502	Literary	C	Female-male	Male
	R5	R016301	Literary	C	Female-male	Female
	R6	R013212	Information	CC	Hispanic-White	White
	R13	R015503	Information	C	Female-male	Female
SOURCE: U.S. Department of Education, Institute of Education Sciences, National Center for Education Statistics, National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP), 2005 Reading Assessment.

Last updated 27 October 2009 (GF)

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