Background: Since 2005, professionals in nine special schools collectively had developed an assessment tool called SCALES for all students regardless they are in special or mainstream schools in Hong Kong. Based on the concept of “one common curriculum for all”, SCALES is classified into the four Key Learning Area (KLA) strands of learning as in the mainstream curriculum framework, namely, Chinese, Science, Personal, Social and Humanities Education (PSHE) and Mathematics. This means that for the first time all of the students are being measured by exactly the same criteria irrespective of the ability or disability. Aims: In this study, we aim to apply Rasch measurement approach to analyzing a this innovative evaluation tool for children with special needs due to intellectual disabilities. Since Rasch measurement can convert ordinal measures into interval measures, the latter of which is fundamental for objective measurement in human sciences (Bond and Fox 2007). Methods: By using Winsteps, statistics such as infit and outfit mean square, person separation index, reliability, and dimensionality of the measurement scales are supported empirically. Results: The uni-dimensionality of the four major subject areas is supported with good psychometric properties such as high reliability and person separations that help differentiation of subjects. Selective applications of some items of these scales could be used by practitioners for quick screening and better intervention for care of children with special leaning needs. Conclusion: The scales are supported with both subject experts’ observation and quantitative evidence from sophisticated psychometric tests. Successful establishment of the instrument by subject experts is evident and quality-assured administration of the Rasch-based items in the future is recommended as the SCALES has proved to be a valid and reliable assessment measure for diverse learners.

Empirical Research Background: Our analyses and report in this study were based on data from the IEA Civic Education Study conducted by the Evaluation of Educational Achievement (IEA) in 1999. The IEA Civic Education Study is the largest and most rigorous study of civic education ever conducted internationally. This research tested and surveyed nationally representative samples totalling 90,000 14-year-old students in 28 countries. In our study the analyses and report focuses on the Hong Kong sample: 4,996 students aged 14.00-14.11 from 150 schools in Hong Kong. Empirical Research Aims: Our study aims to construct benchmark estimates for scales to be used to measure changes in citizenship attitudes and knowledge in Hong Kong students since 1999. In that case it is necessary to reveal any extra scales and/or variations of dimensions within a scale from the Hong Kong sample that were not reported in the IEA Technical report published in 2004, where common scales were adopted for all country comparisons. Empirical Research Sample: An instrument containing attitudinal items towards citizenship, including sections A to N, was administered to students in 28 countries, including Hong Kong, during the Civic Education Study (CivEd) of the International Association for the Evaluation of Educational Achievement (IEA) in 1999. A two stage stratified cluster sample design was used in line with those adopted for other large scale assessments. This involved schools being selected within a stratified sampling frame as the first stage and single intact classes being selected in the second stage. Two explicit strata were used in the sampling frame: district and financial mode, with the number of schools selected within each stratum proportional to the total number of schools. 150 Hong Kong schools were included in the sample in order "to obtain sufficient data for reliable analysis at school and class levels". The population was made up of students who are from 14.00-14.11 (Form 3)

The use of Rasch measurement in the high-stakes testing of educational achievement increases at an outstanding rate. It provides the psychometric background for system-wide examinations in Hong Kong, Australian national beachmarking testing and many educational systems in the US. Its use in Computer Adaptive Testing is fundamental to the in-school assessment systems provided by NWEA in the US and the CEM Centre in the UK. More important for APERA delegates is the growing use of Rasch measurement for small and large scale educational research projects conducted in schools and universities by academic researchers. The development of sample independent invariant measures for educational research allows researchers to address problems that remained intractable under previous analytical methods. Presenters in this symposium will provide an international perspective on the use of Rasch scales in projects including student feedback about teaching, gifted students, mathematics education, self-efficacy, dyslexia in Chinese language and readiness for early school learning.