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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 Reading Long-Term Trend Assessment in 2004

NAEP Technical DocumentationResults of NAEP Differential Item Functioning Analyses for the Reading Long-Term Trend Assessment in 2004

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, modified reading long-term trend assessment: 2004

Age	DIF category	Black-White	Hispanic-White	Female-Male
SOURCE: U.S. Department of Education, Institute of Education Sciences, National Center for Education Statistics, National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP), 2004 Reading Long-Term Trend Assessment.
9	C-	1	1	0
	B-	3	4	1
	A	78	80	84
	B+	5	2	2
	C+	0	0	0
13	C-	1	0	1
	B-	8	4	11
	A	75	81	82
	B+	14	13	5
	C+	1	1	0
17	C-	0	0	1
	B-	8	5	6
	A	75	79	83
	B+	13	12	5
	C+	0	0	1

Number of polytomously scored items by grade and differential item functioning (DIF) category, modified reading long-term trend assessment: 2004

Age	DIF category	Black-White	Hispanic-White	Female-Male
SOURCE: U.S. Department of Education, Institute of Education Sciences, National Center for Education Statistics, National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP), 2004 Reading Long-Term Trend Assessment.
9	CC-	0	0	0
	BB-	1	0	0
	AA	3	4	4
	BB+	0	0	0
	CC+	0	0	0
13	CC-	1	0	0
	BB-	0	0	0
	AA	6	7	7
	BB+	0	0	0
	CC+	0	0	0
17	CC-	1	0	0
	BB-	0	0	0
	AA	7	8	6
	AA+	5	7	6
	BB+	0	0	2
	CC+	0	0	0

DIF comparison of students' response items identified as “C” or “CC” items in at least one comparison, by age and block, modified reading long-term trend assessment: 2004

Age	Block	Item	Category	Comparison	Group favored
SOURCE: U.S. Department of Education, Institute of Education Sciences, National Center for Education Statistics, National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP), 2004 Reading Long-Term Trend Assessment.
9	R29	N026601	C	Black-White	White
	R29	N026601	C	Hispanic-White	White
13	R23	N021803	CC	Black-White	White
	R27	N024902	C	Black-White	Black
	R27	N024902	C	Hispanic-White	Hispanic
	R28	N027405	C	Black-White	White
	R30	N027805	C	Female-male	Male
17	R23	N021803	CC	Black-White	White
	R28	N027805	C	Female-male	Male
	R28	N028003	C	Female-male	Female

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