Two Statistics for Measuring the Score Comparability of Computerized Adaptive Tests

Abstract

This study introduces two new statistics for measuring the score comparability of computerized adaptive tests (CATs) based on comparing conditional standard errors of measurement (CSEMs) for examinees that achieved the same scale scores. One statistic is designed to evaluate score comparability of alternate CAT forms for individual scale scores, while the other statistic is designed to evaluate the overall score comparability of alternate CAT forms. The effectiveness of the new statistics is illustrated using data from grade 3 through 8 reading and math CATs. Results suggest that both CATs demonstrated reasonably high levels of score comparability, that score comparability was less at very high or low scores where few students score, and that using random samples with fewer students per grade did not have a big impact on score comparability. Results also suggested that score comparability was sometimes higher when the bottom 20% of scorers were used to calculate overall score comparability compared to all students. Additional discussion related to applying the statistics in different contexts is provided.