| Session Title: Comparing Apples to Apples: Applying the Rasch Measurement Framework to a Statewide Parent Survey |
| Demonstration Session 826 to be held in Calvert Ballroom Salon B on Saturday, November 10, 1:50 PM to 3:20 PM |
| Sponsored by the Special Needs Populations TIG |
| Presenter(s): |
| Kathleen Lynch, Virginia Commonwealth University, kblynch@vcu.edu |
| William Fisher, Avatar International Inc, wfisher@avatar-intl.com |
| Abstract: This demonstration session will introduce evaluators to Rasch measurement concepts and methods, illustrating their application to a statewide survey of parents' perceptions of schools' efforts to foster parent involvement. The USDOE Office of Special Education Programs requires each state to develop and submit an Annual Progress Report on their State Performance Plan for special education. To assist states, the National Center for Special Education Accountability Monitoring (NCSEAM) has developed and made available a set of surveys that were constructed within the Rasch measurement framework. Presenters will cover the basics of Rasch methodology; its usefulness for survey development, data analysis, and standard setting; and how to interpret results to inform program improvement. Using both lecture and interactive formats, presenters will engage the audience in thinking through ways to address the challenges inherent in trying to communicate to a broad audience a radically different way of thinking about measurement. |