NAEP Technical DocumentationResults of NAEP Differential Item Functioning (DIF) Analysis for the Reading Main Assessment in 2007

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, reading combined national and state main assessment, by differential item functioning (DIF) category and grade: 2007
Grade	DIF category	Female-Male	Black-White	Hispanic-White
SOURCE: U.S. Department of Education, Institute of Education Sciences, National Center for Education Statistics, National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP), 2007 Reading Assessment.
4	C-	1	0	0
	B-	0	1	1
	A	72	71	72
	B+	0	1	0
	C+	0	0	0
8	C-	2	0	1
	B-	5	7	6
	A	92	88	91
	B+	2	5	3
	C+	0	1	0

Number of polytomously scored items, reading combined national and state main assessment, by differential item functioning (DIF) category and grade: 2007
Grade	DIF category	Female-Male	Black-White	Hispanic-White
SOURCE: U.S. Department of Education, Institute of Education Sciences, National Center for Education Statistics, National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP), 2007 Reading Assessment.
4	CC-	0	0	0
	BB-	0	0	0
	AA	27	26	27
	BB+	0	1	0
	CC+	0	0	0
8	CC-	0	0	0
	BB-	0	0	0
	AA	39	36	37
	BB+	0	3	2
	CC+	0	0	0

Items identified as 'C' or 'CC' items in at least one comparison, reading combined national and state main assessment, by block and grade: 2007
Grade	Block	Item	Scale	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), 2007 Reading Assessment.
4	RL	R023101	Information	C	Female-Male	Male
8	RL	R053210	Literary	C	Female-Male	Male
	RM	R016208	Information	C	Female-Male	Male
	RJ	R013402	Task	C	Black-White	Black
	RJ	R013407	Task	C	Hispanic-White	White

Last updated 18 May 2010 (GF)

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