Test developers and psychometricians have historically examined measurement bias and differential item functioning (DIF) across a single categorical variable (e.g., gender), independently of other variables (e.g., race, age, etc.). This is problematic when more complex forms of measurement bias may adversely affect test responses and, ultimately,…

Educators and researchers strive to build policies and practices on data and evidence, especially on academic achievement scores. When assessment scores are inaccurate for specific student populations or when scores are inappropriately used, even data-driven decisions will be misinformed. To maximize the impact of the research-practice-policy…

In this digital ITEMS module, Dr. Jacqueline Leighton and Dr. Blair Lehman review differences between think-aloud interviews to measure problem-solving processes and cognitive labs to measure comprehension processes. Learners are introduced to historical, theoretical, and procedural differences between these methods and how to use and analyze…

A goal for any linking or equating of two or more tests is that the linking function be invariant to the population used in conducting the linking or equating. Violations of population invariance in linking and equating jeopardize the fairness and validity of test scores, and pose particular problems for test-based accountability programs that…

Over the past few decades, those who take tests in the United States have exhibited increasing diversity with respect to native language. Standard psychometric procedures for ensuring item and test fairness that have existed for some time were developed when test-taking groups were predominantly native English speakers. A better understanding of…

Nambury S. Raju (1937-2005) developed two model-based indices for differential item functioning (DIF) during his prolific career in psychometrics. Both methods, Raju's area measures (Raju, 1988) and Raju's DFIT (Raju, van der Linden, & Fleer, 1995), are based on quantifying the gap between item characteristic functions (ICFs). This approach…

A note from the Working Group of the Joint Committee on Testing Practices: The "Code of Fair Testing Practices in Education (Code)" prepared by the Joint Committee on Testing Practices (JCTP) has just been revised for the first time since its initial introduction in 1988. The revision of the Code was inspired primarily by the revision of…

The author, the Chief Executive Officer of the Golden Rule Insurance Company, explains why his company brought the lawsuit against the State of Illinois and the Educational Testing Service and how it was settled. He believes settlement was a step forward and should not be dismissed as a mistake. (JAZ)

This article provides an overview of the "Golden Rule" issue, including a summary of legislative and judicial activity aimed at extending the "Golden Rule" idea, the opposition of professional associations to such proposals, and activity at the Educational Testing Service to take differential item functioning into account in…

A broad description is given of admissions procedures to Israeli universities. In Israel, a single unified test, the Psychometric Entrance Test, is used for admission to the various universities. Issues of validity and reliability and problems of ensuring fairness for non-Hebrew speakers are considered. (SLD)