Differential Item Functioning Analysis for Accommodated Versus Nonaccommodated Students

Abstract

The No Child Left Behind act resulted in an increased reliance on large-scale standardized tests to assess the progress of individual students as well as schools. In addition, emphasis was placed on including all students in the testing programs as well as those with disabilities. As a result, the role of testing accommodations has become more central in discussions about test fairness and accessibility as well as evidence of validity. This study seeks to examine whether there exists differential item functioning for math and language items between special education examinees receiving accommodations and those not receiving accommodations.

Notes

^aA negative sign indicates that uniform DIF favors the SWDN group.

^aA negative sign indicates that the SWDA individuals were favored at lower proficiency levels, whereas SWDN examinees were favored at higher levels.

^aA negative sign indicates that uniform favors the group of students with disabilities who did not receive any testing accommodations.

^aA negative sign indicates that the accommodated students with disabilities were favored at lower proficiency levels, whereas the students with disabilities who did not receive any testing accommodations were favored at higher levels.