Number of Items by Severity of Differential Item Functioning in the Vocabulary National Assessment: 2015

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 for dichotomously scored items. After reviewing "C" and "CC" items, subject area specialists decided that no items were biased, so none were deleted from the scale for this reason.

Number of items in the vocabulary national assessment, by differential item functioning (DIF) group, grade, and DIF category: 2015
Grade	DIF category	Female/Male	Black/White	Hispanic/White
4	C-	0	0	0
	B-	0	1	2
	A	41	39	39
	B+	0	1	0
	C+	0	0	0
8	C-	1	1	4
	B-	4	5	4
	A	52	48	48
	B+	0	3	1
	C+	0	0	0
12	C-	4	0	4
	B-	8	5	4
	A	37	43	41
	B+	0	1	0
	C+	0	0	0
NOTE: This includes all items in the assessment (the prescaling decisions). The vocabulary assessment includes multiple-choice items only. SOURCE: U.S. Department of Education, Institute of Education Sciences, National Center for Education Statistics, National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP), 2015 Reading Assessment.

Items identified as "C" items in at least one comparison, vocabulary national assessment, by grade and block: 2015
Grade	Block	Item	Comparison	Group favored
8	RA	R059602	Female/Male	Male
	RS	R0V1804	Black/White	White
	RG	R058802	Hispanic/White	White
	RL	R061008	Hispanic/White	White
	RP	R0V0210	Hispanic/White	White
	RO	R0V0506	Hispanic/White	White
12	RA	R059602	Female/Male	Male
	RG	R062204	Female/Male	Male
	RI	R062511	Female/Male	Male
	RL	R063103	Female/Male	Male
	RA	R059608	Hispanic/White	White
	RL	R063103	Hispanic/White	White
	RO	R0V0506	Hispanic/White	White
	RQ	R0V1401	Hispanic/White	White
NOTE: The vocabulary assessment includes multiple-choice items only. SOURCE: U.S. Department of Education, Institute of Education Sciences, National Center for Education Statistics, National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP), 2015 Reading Assessment.

Last updated 02 December 2021 (ML)

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