Re-Examining Measurement Invariance of School Climate Surveys across Race/Ethnicity
Saved in:
| Title: | Re-Examining Measurement Invariance of School Climate Surveys across Race/Ethnicity |
|---|---|
| Language: | English |
| Authors: | Stephen M. Leach (ORCID |
| Source: | Assessment for Effective Intervention. 2025 50(2):72-96. |
| Availability: | SAGE Publications and Hammill Institute on Disabilities. 2455 Teller Road, Thousand Oaks, CA 91320. Tel: 800-818-7243; Tel: 805-499-9774; Fax: 800-583-2665; e-mail: journals@sagepub.com; Web site: https://sagepub.com |
| Peer Reviewed: | Y |
| Page Count: | 25 |
| Publication Date: | 2025 |
| Document Type: | Journal Articles Reports - Research Tests/Questionnaires |
| Education Level: | Junior High Schools Middle Schools Secondary Education |
| Descriptors: | School Surveys, Measurement, Hierarchical Linear Modeling, Educational Environment, Race, Ethnicity, Scores, Equal Education, Intervention, Educational Improvement, Test Validity, Test Interpretation, Evaluation Methods, Urban Schools, Public Schools, Middle School Students, Racial Differences |
| Geographic Terms: | Kentucky (Louisville) |
| DOI: | 10.1177/15345084251317427 |
| ISSN: | 1534-5084 1938-7458 |
| Abstract: | Educators commonly use school climate survey scores to inform and evaluate interventions for equitably improving learning and reducing educational disparities. Unfortunately, validity evidence to support these (and other) score uses often falls short. In response, Whitehouse et al. proposed a collaborative, two-part validity testing framework for research-practice teams to gather evidence on school climate instruments to substantiate score interpretations and uses to promote equitable school environments. This study extends their work by including approaches to gather evidence on content and predictive validity of obtained scores, beyond an instrument's internal structure, and using the alignment method to assess measurement invariance across student racial/ethnic groups. We demonstrate the procedure on a school climate survey developed by a large, urban U.S. public school district using data obtained on a sample of 6,423 Black and White middle school students. Results suggest that our expanded framework offers a more extensive, empirically based approach to gathering validity evidence on locally developed school climate measures. We discuss implications, limitations, and future directions for the development and use of school climate measures for decision-making. |
| Abstractor: | As Provided |
| Entry Date: | 2025 |
| Accession Number: | EJ1465805 |
| Database: | ERIC |
| Abstract: | Educators commonly use school climate survey scores to inform and evaluate interventions for equitably improving learning and reducing educational disparities. Unfortunately, validity evidence to support these (and other) score uses often falls short. In response, Whitehouse et al. proposed a collaborative, two-part validity testing framework for research-practice teams to gather evidence on school climate instruments to substantiate score interpretations and uses to promote equitable school environments. This study extends their work by including approaches to gather evidence on content and predictive validity of obtained scores, beyond an instrument's internal structure, and using the alignment method to assess measurement invariance across student racial/ethnic groups. We demonstrate the procedure on a school climate survey developed by a large, urban U.S. public school district using data obtained on a sample of 6,423 Black and White middle school students. Results suggest that our expanded framework offers a more extensive, empirically based approach to gathering validity evidence on locally developed school climate measures. We discuss implications, limitations, and future directions for the development and use of school climate measures for decision-making. |
|---|---|
| ISSN: | 1534-5084 1938-7458 |
| DOI: | 10.1177/15345084251317427 |
