Full-information item bifactor model for mathematical ability assessment in Chinese compulsory education quality monitoring

This study focuses on the measurement of mathematical ability in the Chinese Compulsory Education Qualification Monitoring (CCEQM) framework using bifactor theory. First, we propose a full-information item bifactor (FIBF) model for the measurement of mathematical ability. Second, the performance of the FIBF model is empirically studied using a data set from three representative provinces were selected from CCEQM 2015–2017. Finally, Monte Carlo simulations are conducted to demonstrate the accuracy of the model evaluation indices and parameter estimation methods used in the empirical study. The obtained results are as follows: (1) The results for the four used model selection indices (AIC, SABIC, HQ, BIC) consistently showed that the fit of the FIBF model is better than that of the UIRT; (2) All of the estimated general and domain-specific abilities of the FIBF model have reasonable interpretations; (3) The model evaluation indices and parameter estimation methods exhibit excellent accuracy, indicating that the application of the FIBF model is technically feasible in large-scale testing projects.