ERIC Number: EJ1191894
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2018-Sep
Pages: 9
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-1045-3830
EISSN: N/A
Differential Item Functioning across Race and Ethnicity for the Emotional and Behavioral Screener
Lambert, Matthew C.; January, Stacy-Ann A.; Cress, Cynthia J.; Epstein, Michael H.; Cullinan, Douglas
School Psychology Quarterly, v33 n3 p399-407 Sep 2018
The objective of this study was to assess the measurement invariance of items from the Emotional and Behavioral Screener (EBS) across racial and ethnic groups and assess the impact of differential item functioning (DIF) on test scores from the EBS. Participants were 4,856 first-grade students (49% female) who were diverse with regard to race and ethnicity (45% African American, 41% Hispanic/Latino, and 14% Caucasian). Classroom teachers rated each student on the EBS during the fall semester screening window. Item response theory modeling was combined with ordinal regression to investigate the presence and impact of differential item functioning across 3 race and ethnicity groups. The findings suggest that items from the EBS exhibit small to negligible levels of DIF, and the limited DIF that was present does not significantly impact overall scores. Researchers and practitioners can have confidence that scores from the EBS are relatively unaffected by test bias when measuring the emotional and behavioral risk of young students from African American, Hispanic/Latino, or Caucasian backgrounds.
Descriptors: Test Bias, At Risk Students, Screening Tests, Emotional Problems, Behavior Problems, Item Response Theory, Scores, Ethnic Groups, Grade 1, Minority Group Students, Emotional Disturbances, Elementary School Students, White Students, African American Students, Hispanic American Students, Gender Differences, Race, Ethnicity, Elementary School Teachers
American Psychological Association. Journals Department, 750 First Street NE, Washington, DC 20002. Tel: 800-374-2721; Tel: 202-336-5510; Fax: 202-336-5502; e-mail: order@apa.org; Web site: http://www.apa.org
Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research
Education Level: Grade 1
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Identifiers - Location: Florida
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A