Identifying with More Than One Ethnic and/or Racial Group

The classification of test-takers into ethnic and racial groups ensures individuals and groups, identified in Title VI and VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the 14th Amendment to the Constitution of the United States are protected from adverse treatment (Camilli, 2006). The United States Office of Management and Budget (OMB) suggests that respondents to ethnic and racial data collection efforts have the option to select with more than one ethnicity and/or racial group. This paper focuses on the impact on the calculations of differential item functioning (DIF) statistics when respondents can select all ethnic and racial categories that apply.