Scaling Performance Assessments: Strategies for Managing Local Item Dependence

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.