The Importance of Multi-Group Validity Evidence in Gifted and Talented Identification and Research

Abstract

Practitioners and researchers often review the validity evidence of an instrument before using it for student assessment or in the practice of diagnosing or identifying children with exceptionalities. However, few test manuals present data on instrument measurement equivalence/invariance or differential item functioning. This information is critical as it allows the user to determine if the instrument yields equally valid information for a diverse group of children. This article presents the rationale and need for such information as well as a detailed process for how test developers, practitioners, or education researchers might complete their own evaluation of instrument invariance.

Keywords:

• Gifted
• talented
• identification
• validity evidence
• test development

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Scott J. Peters

Scott J. Peters is an Assistant Professor of Educational Foundations at the University of Wisconsin – Whitewater where he teaches courses related to measurement and assessment, research methodology, and gifted education. He received his Ph.D. from Purdue University specializing in gifted and talented education with secondary areas in applied research methodology and English education. His research interests include educational research methodology with particular focus on assessment and identification as well as nontraditional giftedness and secondary student programming outcomes. He has published in Teaching for High Potential, Gifted Child Quarterly, the Journal of Advanced Academics, the Journal of Career and Technical Education Research, Ed Leadership, and Pedagogies. He is the past recipient of the Fedlhusen Doctoral Fellowship in Gifted Education, the NAGC Research an Evaluation Network Dissertation Award, and the NAGC Doctoral Student of the Year Award. For the last three years he has served as the Assistant Program Chair and Program Chair of the AERA Research on Giftedness, Creativity, and Talent SIG and as the National Association for Gifted Children Research and Evaluation Secretary.