Scaling Performance Assessments: Strategies for Managing Local Item Dependence

Abstract

Performance assessments appear on a priori grounds to be likely to produce far more local item dependence (LID) than that produced in the use of traditional multiple‐choice tests. This article (a) defines local item independence, (b) presents a compendium of causes of LID, (c) discusses some of LID's practical measurement implications, (d) details some empirical results for both performance assessments and multiple‐choice tests, and (e) suggests some strategies for managing LID in order to avoid negative measurement consequences.