Poster #36 - Differential Item Functioning: An Investigation of Population Invariance for Hi-Lo Readers and Typical Readers

• In Event: 21.063 - MTCC Poster Session Three
  In Poster Session: 21.063-3 - Differential Item Functioning and Measurement Invariance

Abstract

A growing area of interest for educators and book publishers is high-low (hi-lo) reading materials. Students for whom hi-lo materials are typically designed tend to be three years or more behind a typical reader their age. Two studies investigated the scaling property of population invariance by administering assessments to typically developing early elementary readers and upper elementary and beyond struggling readers, hi-lo readers, utilizing an established developmental scale. Item response patterns were analyzed for differential item functioning (DIF) to detect potential bias when items were encountered by readers of different age groups with distinctive reading developmental profiles. Minimal DIF was detected in both studies indicating the property of population invariance holds for these distinctive groups of readers.

Authors

• Ian F Hembry, MetaMetrics

• Heather Koons, MetaMetrics

• Jeff Elmore, MetaMetrics

• Eleanor E. Sanford-Moore, MetaMetrics

• Kate Pringle, MetaMetrics