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NAEP Analysis and Scaling → Estimation of NAEP Scale Scores → Treatment of Items to Avoid Violations of Assumptions → Results of NAEP Differential Item Functioning (DIF) Analyses → Results of Differential Item Functioning (DIF) for the Civics National Main Assessment in 2006

NAEP Technical DocumentationResults of Differential Item Functioning (DIF) for the Civics National Main Assessment in 2006

For dichotomously scored items, NAEP categorizes each item into one of three categories: "A" (items exhibiting no DIF), "B" (items exhibiting a weak indication of DIF), or "C" (items exhibiting a strong indication of DIF). A plus sign (+) indicates that items are differentially easier for the focal group (female, Black, or Hispanic students) than for the reference group (male or White students) after making an adjustment for the overall level of proficiency in the two groups; a minus sign (-) indicates that items are differentially more difficult for the focal group than for the reference group. For polytomously scored items, NAEP categorizes items into "AA," "BB," or "CC" categories and the plus or minus sign has the same interpretation as dichotomously scored items. After reviewing "C" and "CC" items, subject area specialists decided that no items were biased, so none were deleted from the scales for this reason.

Number of dichotomously scored items, civics national main assessment, by differential item functioning (DIF) category and grade: 2006

Grade	DIF category	Female-Male	Black-White	Hispanic-White
4	C-	0	0	0
	B-	2	3	4
	A	66	57	62
	B+	0	7	2
	C+	0	1	0
8	C-	0	0	0
	B-	8	2	4
	A	113	118	113
	B+	2	3	6
	C+	0	0	0
12	C-	0	0	0
	B-	8	5	7
	A	108	111	105
	B+	6	6	9
	C+	0	0	1
SOURCE: U.S. Department of Education, Institute of Education Sciences, National Center for Education Statistics, National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP), 2006 Civics Assessment.

Number of polytomously scored items, civics national main assessment, by  differential item functioning (DIF) category and grade: 2006

Grade	DIF category	Female-Male	Black-White	Hispanic-White
4	CC-	0	0	0
	BB-	0	0	0
	AA	19	21	21
	BB+	2	0	0
	CC+	0	0	0
8	CC-	0	0	0
	BB-	0	1	1
	AA	24	27	26
	BB+	5	0	0
	CC+	0	1	1
12	CC-	0	0	0
	BB-	1	2	1
	AA	24	26	28
	BB+	3	1	0
	CC+	1	0	0
SOURCE: U.S. Department of Education, Institute of Education Sciences, National Center for Education Statistics, National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP), 2006 Civics Assessment.

Items identified as 'C' or 'CC' items in at least one comparison, civics national main assessment, by block and grade: 2006

Grade	Block	Item	Category	Comparison	Group favored
4	C8	P040505	C	Black-White	Black
8	C3	P042177	CC	Hispanic-White	Hispanic
	C6	P041013	CC	Black-White	Black
12	C8	P042203	CC	Female-Male	Female
	C9	P042220	C	Hispanic-White	Hispanic
SOURCE: U.S. Department of Education, Institute of Education Sciences, National Center for Education Statistics, National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP), 2006 Civics Assessment.

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