Аннотация:Abstract When testing English language learners (ELLs) in subject matter areas, construct irrelevant variance could result from English, the language in which the test is presented. Differential item functioning (DIF) techniques have been used to determine if items are operating differently for population subgroups and might therefore be appropriate for such an investigation. In the study presented here, ELL and non-ELL 8th-grade students' scores on National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) math word problems were compared. After the non-ELLs were found to outperform the ELLs, two independent techniques for detecting DIF—an item response theory approach and the Mantel-Haenszel approach—were employed to determine if a plausible explanation for the score difference could be attributed to DIF against ELLs. The results showed that only 1 of 10 original NAEP items and none of 10 linguistically simplified items were found to exhibit DIF against ELLs, suggesting that the score difference between the groups could not be attributed to DIF against ELLs. ACKNOWLEDGMENTS I am indebted to Jamal Abedi who provided the data set and advice on the project. I am also grateful to Lyle Bachman, Antony Kunnan, Steve Reise, Noreen Webb, and three anonymous reviewers who offered invaluable guidance and suggestions on earlier versions of the article. Notes No Child Left Behind Act of 2001, Pub L. No. 107<@150>110, 115 Stat. 1425 (2002). Waller, N. (2002). Microfact 2.0 (Student version) [Computer software]. Psychometric Software.
Ключевые слова:Cognitive and developmental aspects of mathematical skills, Mathematics Education and Teaching Techniques, Mathematics Education and Pedagogy
