| Jennifer Koran
University of Maryland, College Park
An integrated item response model for evaluating individual students' growth in educational achievement
Measuring growth in individual students' academic abilities over time currently requires several statistical models or transformations to move from data representing a student's correct or incorrect responses on individual test items to inferences about changes in the student's underlying ability. This research study proposes and investigates a single integrated model of underlying growth within an Item Response Theory framework. A Monte Carlo study with simulated item response data investigates the statistical properties of this integrated model under variations of several conditions, including the form of the underlying growth trajectory, the amount of inter-individual variation in the rate(s) of growth, the sample size, the number of items at each time point, and the selection of items administered across time points. A real data illustration with mathematics assessment data from the Early Childhood Longitudinal Study showcases the practical use of this integrated model for measuring gains in academic achievement. Overall, this study contributes to a better understanding of the appropriate use of growth models to draw valid inferences about students' academic growth and change over time and helps lay the foundation for further research comparing the integrated approach with current methodologies involving multiple statistical models.
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