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 Geography National Assessment in 2010

NAEP Technical DocumentationResults of Differential Item Functioning (DIF) for the Geography 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, geography 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 Geography Assessment.
4	C-	0	0	0
	B-	1	3	1
	A	65	64	63
	B+	2	1	3
	C+	0	0	1
8	C-	1	0	1
	B-	5	5	1
	A	84	80	85
	B+	0	5	2
	C+	0	0	1
12	C-	0	0	0
	B-	4	2	1
	A	84	80	82
	B+	0	6	2
	C+	0	0	3

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

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), 2010 Geography Assessment
4	CC-	0	1	0
	BB-	0	1	0
	AA	20	19	21
	BB+	1	0	0
	CC+	0	0	0
8	CC-	0	0	0
	BB-	0	3	1
	AA	29	28	32
	BB+	4	1	0
	CC+	0	1	0
12	CC-	0	0	0
	BB-	0	1	1
	AA	29	31	29
	BB+	3	0	2
	CC+	0	0	0

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

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), 2010 Geography Assessment.
4	G4	G008503	Spatial dynamics and connections	CC	Black/White	White
	G5	G009103	Space and place	C	Hispanic/White	Hispanic
8	G4	G033501	Spatial dynamics and connections	CC	Black/White	Black
	G5	G049801	Space and place	C	Female/Male	Male
	G5	G048401	Spatial dynamics and connections	C	Hispanic/White	White
	G8	G049101	Spatial dynamics and connections	C	Hispanic/White	Hispanic
12	G3	G020501	Spatial dynamics and connections	C	Hispanic/White	Hispanic
	G3	G020802	Spatial dynamics and connections	C	Hispanic/White	Hispanic
	G3	G020901	Spatial dynamics and connections	C	Hispanic/White	Hispanic

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