Constructing a Universal Scale of High School Course Difficulty

Abstract

This study examined the usefulness of applying the Rasch rating scale model (Andrich, 1978) to high school grade data. ACT Assessment test scores (English, Mathematics, Reading, and Science Reasoning) were used as “common items” to adjust for different grading standards in individual high school courses both within and across schools. This scaling approach yielded an ACT Assessment‐adjusted high school grade point average (AA‐HSGPA) on a common scale across high schools and cohorts within a large public university. AA‐HSGPA was a better predictor of first‐year college grade point average (CGPA) than the regular high school grade point average. The best model for predicting CGPA included both the ACT composite score and AA‐HSGPA.