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 Differential Item Functioning (DIF) for the Civics National Assessment in 2010

NAEP Technical DocumentationResults of Differential Item Functioning (DIF) for the Civics National Assessment in 2010

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, civics national assessment, by differential item functioning (DIF) category and grade: 2010

Grade	DIF category	Female/Male	Black/White	Hispanic/White
NOTE: This includes all items in the assessment (the prescaling decisions). SOURCE: U.S. Department of Education, Institute of Education Sciences, National Center for Education Statistics, National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP), 2010 Civics Assessment.
4	C-	1	0	1
	B-	2	2	1
	A	67	65	65
	B+	0	3	2
	C+	0	0	1
8	C-	0	0	0
	B-	3	3	1
	A	114	112	112
	B+	3	5	7
	C+	0	0	0
12	C-	0	0	0
	B-	5	3	5
	A	117	113	110
	B+	1	7	6
	C+	0	0	2

Number of polytomously scored items, civics national assessment, by  differential item functioning (DIF) category and grade: 2010

Grade	DIF category	Female/Male	Black/White	Hispanic/White
NOTE: This includes all items in the assessment (the prescaling decisions). SOURCE: U.S. Department of Education, Institute of Education Sciences, National Center for Education Statistics, National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP), 2010 Civics Assessment.
4	CC-	0	0	0
	BB-	0	1	0
	AA	19	19	20
	BB+	1	0	0
	CC+	0	0	0
8	CC-	0	0	0
	BB-	0	0	1
	AA	25	29	28
	BB+	3	1	1
	CC+	2	0	0
12	CC-	0	0	0
	BB-	0	1	1
	AA	25	28	27
	BB+	4	0	1
	CC+	0	0	0

Items identified as 'C' or 'CC' items in at least one comparison, civics national assessment, by block and grade: 2010

Grade	Block	Item	Category	Comparison	Group favored
NOTE: A singe overall scale was used for civics. SOURCE: U.S. Department of Education, Institute of Education Sciences, National Center for Education Statistics, National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP), 2010 Civics Assessment.
4	C3	P046801	C	Female/Male	Male
	C7	P042145	C	Hispanic/White	White
	C8	P045701	C	Hispanic/White	Hispanic
8	C5	P040910	CC	Female/Male	Female
	C6	P049501	CC	Female/Male	Female
12	C9	P042212	C	Hispanic/White	Hispanic
	C9	P042219	C	Hispanic/White	Hispanic

Printer-friendly Version