Researchers who use measurement models for evaluation purposes often select models with stringent requirements, such as Rasch models, which are parametric. Mokken Scale Analysis (MSA) offers a theory-driven nonparametric modeling approach that may be more appropriate for some measurement applications. Researchers have discussed using MSA as a…

Effort-moderated (E-M) scoring is intended to estimate how well a disengaged test taker would have performed had they been fully engaged. It accomplishes this adjustment by excluding disengaged responses from scoring and estimating performance from the remaining responses. The scoring method, however, assumes that the remaining responses are not…

This article presents generalizations of SIBTEST and crossing-SIBTEST statistics for differential item functioning (DIF) investigations involving more than two groups. After reviewing the original two-group setup for these statistics, a set of multigroup generalizations that support contrast matrices for joint tests of DIF are presented. To…

A critical aspect of the development of culturally relevant classroom assessments is the design of tasks that affirm students' racial and ethnic identities and community cultural practices. This paper describes the process we followed to build a shared understanding of what culturally relevant assessments are, to pursue ways of bringing more…

To reduce the impact of parameter estimation errors on IRT linking results, recent work introduced two information-weighted characteristic curve methods for dichotomous items. These two methods showed outstanding performance in both simulation and pseudo-form pseudo-group analysis. The current study expands upon the concept of information…

A technology-based problem-solving test can automatically capture all the actions of students when they complete tasks and save them as process data. Response sequences are the external manifestations of the latent intellectual activities of the students, and it contains rich information about students' abilities and different problem-solving…

Recent research has demonstrated an intersectional approach to the study of differential item functioning (DIF). This approach expands DIF to account for the interactions between what have traditionally been treated as separate grouping variables. In this paper, we compare traditional and intersectional DIF analyses using data from a state testing…

New Hampshire's Performance Assessment of Competency Education (PACE) innovative assessment system uses student scores from classroom performance assessments as well as other classroom tests for school accountability purposes. One concern is that not having annual state testing may incentivize schools and teachers away from teaching the breadth of…

The existence of outliers in the anchor items can be detrimental to the estimation of examinee ability and undermine the validity of score interpretation across forms. However, in practice, anchor item performance can become distorted due to various reasons. This study compares the performance of modified "INFIT" and "OUTFIT"…

Longitudinal models typically emphasize between-person predictors of change but ignore how growth varies "within" persons because each person contributes only one data point at each time. In contrast, modeling growth with multi-item assessments allows evaluation of how relative item performance may shift over time. While traditionally…

Assessments built on a theory of learning progressions are promising formative tools to support learning and teaching. The quality and usefulness of those assessments depend, in large part, on the validity of the theory-informed inferences about student learning made from the assessment results. In this study, we introduced an approach to address…