Guidelines for Best Test Development Practices to Ensure Validity and Fairness for International English Language Proficiency Assessments IRT DIF
- Author(s):
- Young, John W.; So, Youngsoon; Ockey, Gary J.
- Publication Year:
- 2013
- Source:
- ETS Office of Professional Standards Compliance’s Fairness Series
- Document Type:
- Publication
- Page Count:
- 24
- Subject/Key Words:
- English Language Proficiency, Validity, Fairness, Test Development, Bias, Reliability, Constructed-Response Items, Selected Response Items, Scoring, Statistical Analysis, Item Response Theory (IRT), Differential Item Functioning (DIF)
Abstract
These guidelines focus on the recommended best practices for the development of English-language proficiency assessments taken by international test-taker populations. The diversity of the global English-learner population in terms of language-learning backgrounds, purposes and motivations for learning, and cultural background, among other factors, represents challenges to test developers. This publication recognizes these and other issues related to assessing international English learners and proposes guidelines for test development to ensure validity and fairness in the assessment process.