ERIC Number: EJ1057843
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2015-Apr
Pages: 32
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-1076-9986
EISSN: N/A
Available Date: N/A
Practical Issues in Estimating Achievement Gaps from Coarsened Data
Reardon, Sean F.; Ho, Andrew D.
Journal of Educational and Behavioral Statistics, v40 n2 p158-189 Apr 2015
In an earlier paper, we presented methods for estimating achievement gaps when test scores are coarsened into a small number of ordered categories, preventing fine-grained distinctions between individual scores. We demonstrated that gaps can nonetheless be estimated with minimal bias across a broad range of simulated and real coarsened data scenarios. In this article, we extend this previous work to obtain practical estimates of the imprecision imparted by the coarsening process and of the bias imparted by measurement error. In the first part of this article, we derive standard error estimates and demonstrate that coarsening leads to only very modest increases in standard errors under a wide range of conditions. In the second part of this article, we describe and evaluate a practical method for disattenuating gap estimates to account for bias due to measurement error.
Descriptors: Achievement Gap, Performance Factors, Educational Practices, Scores, Measurement Techniques, Error of Measurement, Sampling, Definitions, Nonparametric Statistics, Computation, Intervals, Mathematical Applications, Test Reliability, Data Analysis, Achievement Rating, Research Methodology
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Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research
Education Level: N/A
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: Institute of Education Sciences (ED)
Authoring Institution: N/A
IES Funded: Yes
Grant or Contract Numbers: R305D110018; R305B090016
Author Affiliations: N/A