NAEP Technical DocumentationNumber of Items by Severity of Differential Item Functioning (DIF), Reading Combined National and State Assessment: 2017

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 dichotomously scored items, reading combined national and state assessment, by differential item functioning (DIF) group, grade, and DIF category: 2017

Grade	DIF category	Female/Male	Black/White	Hispanic/White
4	C-	0	0	0
	B-	0	0	0
	A	70	70	70
	B+	0	0	0
	C+	0	0	0
8	C-	1	0	0
	B-	6	3	3
	A	78	79	81
	B+	0	3	1
	C+	0	0	0
NOTE: This includes all items in the assessment (the prescaling decisions). In 2017, grade 12 was not assessed. SOURCE: U.S. Department of Education, Institute of Education Sciences, National Center for Education Statistics, National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP), 2017 Reading Assessment.

Items identified as "C" items in at least one comparison, reading combined national and state assessment, by grade, block, and subscale: 2017

Grade	Block	Item	Subscale	Comparison	Group favored
8	R1	R059602	Reading for literary experience	Female/Male	Male
NOTE: No "CC" items were identified. In 2017, grade 12 was not assessed. SOURCE: U.S. Department of Education, Institute of Education Sciences, National Center for Education Statistics, National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP), 2017 Reading Assessment.

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