Psychometric Analysis of the ACES-2 Reading Scale - Student Edition

• In Event: From Single-Item Indicators to Complex Constructs: Insights into Scale Development and Validation

Abstract

The Academic Competence Evaluation Scales (ACES; DiPerna & Elliot, 2000) have been widely used to assess students’ academic skills and enablers. To better reflect current educational contexts, a second edition (ACES-2) is under development. This study evaluated the psychometric properties of the Student Reading Scale in this revised instrument using IRT. Results indicated that one item demonstrated poor functioning and was removed. Following its exclusion, strong evidence supported the scale’s internal structure validity and reliability. Although some items showed DIF by gender or race, their effect on scale-level DIF was negligible. Additionally, the scale may not adequately assess the skills of higher-ability students (θ>1.5), indicating a need to develop additional items targeting this range.

Authors

• Jie Ni, The Pennsylvania State University

• Pui-Wa Lei, Pennsylvania State University

• James Clyde Diperna, Pennsylvania State University