Abstract
Effective distractors in multiple-choice items should attract lower ability students, those with misconceptions or limited knowledge and skills, because they are based on common misconceptions or errors in logic. A large, multi-state data set collected for a quasi-experimental study on test modifications was analyzed to measure the impact on distractor functioning. The key modification of interest was the removal of the weakest of three distractors, from 39 items in reading and 39 items in mathematics. Distractor functioning was neither systematically improved nor systematically weakened through the modification process. However, more than 70% of the distractors became more discriminating. A moderate correlation between distractor selection rate and distractor discrimination, in mathematics, may have indicated that the modified items were being missed by the appropriate students. Implications of these findings for test developers are discussed.
Highlights
Item writing has received a boost in attention recently, largely because of the high-stakes demands that have been placed on achievement testing through No Child Left Behind (NCLB) requirements, the increasing attention to international assessments (e.g., Programme for International Student Assessment [PISA], Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study [TIMSS]), a renewed interest in the use of assessments for formative purposes, and innovations in online item and assessment delivery
Under the NCLB Act, this attention was motivated through the allowance for an alternate assessment based on modified academic achievement standards (AA-MAS) for a small proportion of students
We found the average change in item difficulty was about 6% for mathematics and 10% for reading, making the items easier on average for both tests
Summary
Item writing has received a boost in attention recently, largely because of the high-stakes demands that have been placed on achievement testing through No Child Left Behind (NCLB) requirements, the increasing attention to international assessments (e.g., Programme for International Student Assessment [PISA], Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study [TIMSS]), a renewed interest in the use of assessments for formative purposes, and innovations in online item and assessment delivery. Within this attention has been a focused effort to create test items that are accessible to students with a wide range of abilities, those students with disabilities.
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