Textbook examples are often far from the practitioner's reality, but Chapter 9 of Rating Scale Analysis (Wright & Masters, 1982, pp.180- 198) contains a discussion of the DIAL, which is truly an example from the front lines. The 1990 revision of this useful test has just been published by American Guidance Service.
"Developmental Indicators for the Assessment of Learning - Revised (DIAL-R) is an individually administered screening test designed to identify young children in need of further diagnostic assessment or curricular modification" (DIAL-R Manual 1990 p.1)
"The Rasch partial credit model (Wright & Masters, 1982) was used to analyze the DIAL-R items. The advantage of using Rasch measurement models for item analyses is that the models share the possibility of sample-free item calibration and item-free person measurement. In addition, the partial credit model provides probability curves for each item, which give the size of the steps with each item. The person-fit statistics were used to inspect record booklets of children who do not fit the model. These analyses were conducted at the University of chicago by Professor Benjamin Wright. Professor Wright had also conducted the Rasch analyses on the original DIAL items. The results of DIAL item calibration were presented as examples in his book Rating Scale Analysis." (p.54)
The DIAL-R manual is authored by
Carol Mardell-Czunowski, Northern Illinois University
Dorothea S. Goldenberg, De Paul University
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| Figure. Map of DIAL variable. From Rating Scale Analysis, Wright & Masters, 1982, p. 186 |
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The DIAL Lives On!, B Wright … Rasch Measurement Transactions, 1990, 4:3 p. 117
The URL of this page is www.rasch.org/rmt/rmt43h.htm
Website: www.rasch.org/rmt/contents.htm