Is PROC IRT a Viable Option for Rasch Model Calibration for Research and Large-Scale Assessment?

• In Event: Advances in Rasch Measurement

Abstract

The WINSTEPS software is widely used for Rasch model calibrations. Recently, SAS/STAT® released the PROC IRT procedure for IRT analysis, including Rasch. This study compares the performance of the PROC IRT with WINSTEPS to diagnose the possibility of PROC IRT as a viable alternative for the Rasch model calibration. A simulation study was used to compare the two programs for single group and multiple group calibrations (concurrent calibration for linking) in terms of the convergence rate and item and person parameter estimation accuracy under different test lengths and sample sizes. Implications of the results and the features of each software are discussed for research applications and large-scale assessment regarding the use of PROC IRT over WINSTEPS.

Authors

• Ki Matlock Cole, Oklahoma State University

• Insu Paek, Florida State University