Maryland Model for School Readiness
Fall 2010 Kindergarten Assessment Data
Reliability Analysis
Prepared by:
Alicia Singleton, Research Analyst
Maryland State Department of Education, Division of Early Childhood Development
Office of the Asst. State Superintendent
Introduction:
This document is designed to provide an in depth analysis of the Maryland Model for School Readiness
(MMSR) Kindergarten Assessment. The analysis interprets various relationships between the
assessment items (the 30 indicators), each subject matter (the seven domains), and the overall test
score (composite score). Below is a synopsis of each area of analysis that was performed, followed by a
more descriptive illustration of the topics of interest.

Correlation Analysis of the Composite Scores with the Seven Domains
This process shows the results of the correlation of each of the seven domains with respect to
the composite score. Using the Sum of Squares Method, the Correlation Coefficient is
calculated and provides the percentage of variance between the variables. When the
Correlation Coefficient is high, the relationship between the domain and the composite score
are high.

Analysis of Variance between local school systems (LEA) and schools within each
system
For the analysis of variance, the composite score (dependent variable) is measured under the
independent variable classifications of local school system (LEA) and individual schools in each
local system. The variation in the responses is assumed to be due to the effects of these factors.
The remaining variation is accounted for with random error. The analysis of variance
investigates whether there are significant differences between the groups and which groups
have the most significant differences.

Measurement of the Inner Consistency of the Work Sampling System Indicators Chronbach’s Alpha (α)
Interrelated items may be summed to obtain an overall score for each participant. Cronbach's
coefficient alpha estimates the reliability of this type of scale by determining the internal
consistency of the test or the average correlation of items within the test. Chronbach’s Alpha
generally increases when the correlations between the items increase. The 95% confidence
interval for alpha is also determined. The reliability coefficient is then used to estimate the
range of the true percentage of Fully Ready Kindergarten Students.

Item Properties: Difficulty and Discrimination
The Difficulty Index analyzes the proportion of students who rated proficient on an indicator.
The Discrimination Index compares how the overall high scorers rated on an indicator
compared to overall low scorers. The greater the value of the discrimination index, the
stronger the relationship between overall test performance and performance on that item.
Items with a higher difficulty index will have a higher discrimination index.

Frequency Distribution of Composite Scores
This table displays the occurrence of all possible composite scores and the percentage of the
population.

General Statistical Description: Composite Score by LEA
This is a table that provides basic statistic information on the composite score for each Local
School System. A description of the assessments overall general statistics is provided as well.

Rating Percentages of Domain Indicators
A detailed breakdown of the number and percent of “Proficient”, “In Process”, and “Needs
Development” ratings for each domain’s indicators are provided.