One of the primary goals of international large-scale assessments in education is the comparison of country means in student achievement. This article introduces a framework for discussing differential item functioning (DIF) for such mean comparisons. We compare three different linking methods: concurrent scaling based on full invariance,…

Low test-taking effort as a validity threat is common when examinees perceive an assessment context to have minimal personal value. Prior research has shown that in such contexts, subgroups may differ in their effort, which raises two concerns when making subgroup mean comparisons. First, it is unclear how differential effort could influence…

It is necessary to examine the measurement invariance (MI) among groups in studies where different groups are compared by using a measurement instrument. Most of the studies, measurement invariance is tested with multiple group confirmatory factor analysis. This model applies many model adjustments based on the modification indexes. Therefore, it…

Sources of longitudinal achievement data are increasing thanks partially to the expansion of available interim assessments. These tests are often used to monitor the progress of students, classrooms, and schools within and across school years. Yet, few statistical models equipped to approximate the distinctly seasonal patterns in the data exist,…

The COVID-19 pandemic provided an opportunity to explore how different modes of learning may impact student achievement. Little research has been conducted regarding how the pandemic may have affected students' reading skills. The problem addressed in this study was that the effects of varying and inconsistent learning environments for Title I K-2…

Data indicate that children with disabilities typically display lower levels of proficiency in mathematics than their nondisabled peers, with this difference remaining stable over time. Although literature exists regarding school-age children, few studies have examined early numeracy skills of preschoolers and child characteristics associated with…

Multiple imputation (MI) can be used to address missing data at Level 2 in multilevel research. In this article, we compare joint modeling (JM) and the fully conditional specification (FCS) of MI as well as different strategies for including auxiliary variables at Level 1 using either their manifest or their latent cluster means. We show with…

Validity is one of the psychometric properties of the achievement tests. To determine the validity, one of the examination is item bias studies, which are based on differential item functioning (DIF) analyses and field experts' opinion. In this study, field experts were asked to estimate the DIF levels of the items to compare the estimations…

Purpose: Researchers have developed a constellation model of decodingrelated reading disabilities (RD) to improve the RD risk determination. The model's hallmark is its inclusion of various RD indicators to determine RD risk. Classification methods such as logistic regression (LR) might be one way to determine RD risk within the constellation…

Research objective is comparing the objective methods often used in literature for determination of differential item functioning (DIF) and the subjective method based on the opinions of the experts which are not used so often in literature. Mantel-Haenszel (MH), Logistic Regression (LR) and SIBTEST are chosen as objective methods. While the data…

The purpose of this study is to investigate whether off-task multitasking activities with mobile technologies, specifically social networking sites and short messaging services, used during real-time lectures have an effect on grade performance in higher education students. Two experimental groups and one control group were used in this research.…

There are different cognitive strategies for processing information which in turn influence students' academic achievement. This paper reports an investigation of cognitive styles and achievement scores of secondary school students. In the study, the standardised Group Embedded Figures Test was used to determine the influence of student's…

The Florida College and Career Readiness Initiative (FCCRI) was a statewide policy requiring college readiness testing and participation in college readiness courses for high school students. We used regression discontinuity to compare outcomes for students scoring just above and below test score cutoffs for assignment to FCCRI. We also examined…

The Florida College and Career Readiness Initiative (FCCRI) was a statewide policy requiring college readiness testing and participation in college readiness courses for high school students. We used regression discontinuity to compare outcomes for students scoring just above and below test score cutoffs for assignment to FCCRI. We also examined…

While recent literature has pointed to the efficacy of computer-assisted instruction (CAI) in providing educational intervention at an early age, there is a lack of research exploring its use in a pre-kindergarten setting. The current study assessed the efficacy of CAI on students at the start of their academic careers. The Waterford Early…