Thesis
Application of computerized adaptive testing to Washington Assessment of the Risks and Needs of Students (WARNS)
Washington State University
Master of Arts (MA), Washington State University
12/2019
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.7273/000004190
Handle:
https://hdl.handle.net/2376/125067
Abstract
The Washington Assessment of the Risks and Needs of Students (WARNS) is a computer-based assessment created to help courts, schools, and youth service providers determine an adolescent's risk and needs that may lead to truancy, drop out, or delinquency from school. This assessment measures a single domain and six subdomains represented by a bi-factor model. For each subscale, risk and need scores are calculated. Nevertheless, users are advised to consider the total score to make a decision about youth. A total score estimate with fewer items may result in reducing respondent burden and administration time, while not hindering accurate decisions. Computerized adaptive testing (CAT) can be an efficient way of administering an assessment with a smaller number of items. In CAT, items for each examinee are selected from an item pool based on the examinee's responses to the previously administered items. Item administration ceases when an examinee's ability estimate reaches a predetermined precision level. Thus, each examinee, in theory, is offered the fewest possible items, that are most appropriate for that individual. CAT use in personality assessments is limited compared to achievement assessments but can reduce the number of items required without sacrificing score accuracy. The purpose of this study is to examine applicability and efficiency of CAT for the WARNS through a simulation study. The results demonstrate that the CAT provides an accurate estimate of students' risk and need total scores on the WARNS, yields accurate trait estimates, and reduces the number of items administered for each examinee compared to the existing computer-based version. Nevertheless, future research is recommended before a live WARNS CAT is developed for use in practice.
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Details
- Title
- Application of computerized adaptive testing to Washington Assessment of the Risks and Needs of Students (WARNS)
- Creators
- Cihan Demir
- Contributors
- Brian F French (Advisor) - Washington State University, Department of Kinesiology and Educational Psychology
- Awarding Institution
- Washington State University
- Academic Unit
- Department of Kinesiology and Educational Psychology
- Theses and Dissertations
- Master of Arts (MA), Washington State University
- Publisher
- Washington State University
- Identifiers
- 99900896439601842
- Language
- English
- Resource Type
- Thesis