An Investigation of the Psychometric Properties of an Observational Checklist of Children's Emergent Literacy Skills Within a Multilevel Item Response Theory Framework

• In Event: 29.082 - Roundtable Session 9
  In Roundtable Session: 29.082-14 - Linking, Equating, and Multidimensional Item Response Theory

Abstract

Multilevel item response theory (IRT) procedures, using the graded response model (Samejima, 1969), were used to examine the psychometric properties of the Jumpstart School Success Checklist (JSSC), a 15-item observational tool of children’s emergent literacy skills. Data was based on informants’ Fall and Spring ratings of 8,368 (49.01% female) children in the national Jumpstart program. Exploratory factor analysis results supported the scale’s unidimensional structure. Intra-class correlation coefficients for Fall and Spring data were 0.19 and 0.22 reporting moderate degree of program-level variation in scores. IRT parameter estimates indicated that the items had varying discriminatory power and intercept values increased accordingly with higher categorical ratings. Empirical reliabilities exceeded 0.90 across Fall and Spring data. Implications to practice and research are discussed.

Authors

• Jason C. Immekus, University of Louisville

• Timothy S. Lau, University of Louisville

• Thomas J Reece, University of Louisville