The purpose of this dissertation was to investigate how different Item Response Theory (IRT)-based calibration methods affect student achievement growth pattern recovery. Ninety-six vertical scales (4 × 2 × 2 × 2 ×3) were constructed using different combinations of IRT calibration methods (separate, pair-wise concurrent, semiconcurrent, and concurrent), lengths of common-item set (10 vs. 20 com...

Mixed format tests (e.g., a test consisting of multiple-choice [MC] items and constructed response [CR] items) have become increasingly popular. However, the latent structure of item pools consisting of the two formats is still equivocal. Moreover, the implications of this latent structure are unclear: For example, do constructed response items tap reasoning skills that cannot be assessed with ...