Gender Bias in Predicting College Academic Performance: A New Approach Using Item Response Theory

The possibility of differential prediction of college academic performance for men and women is, at present, an issue of concern both to measurement specialists and to the general public. In prior studies, the use of a single equation to predict grade point average (GPA) from preadmissions measures has generally led to the systematic underprediction of women's college grades. In the following study, Item Response Theory (IRT) was used to develop a form of adjusted cumulative GPA, called the IRT‐based GPA. Significant underprediction for women occurred using a version of the cumulative GPA as the outcome measure. In contrast, the use of the IRT‐based GPA indicated no significant underprediction for men or women. A single regression equation worked best in predicting both men's and women's IRT‐based GPA. In addition, the IRT‐based GPA was substantially more predictable from preadmissions measures than the cumulative GPA.