Student perception surveys are increasingly used to inform school improvement efforts, yet evidence regarding their psychometric properties remains limited in many applied contexts. The present study examined the reliability, temporal stability, and measurement structure of the Panorama Student Survey in a large sample of middle school students. Data were drawn from 18,020 survey administrations across Fall 2022 and Spring 2023, representing 10,196 unique students in Grades 6-8. Internal consistency reliability, test-retest stability, and confirmatory factor analyses were conducted to evaluate the measurement structure of the survey domains. Results indicated strong internal consistency across constructs (alpha = 0.68-0.86; omega = 0.81-0.92) and moderate to strong temporal stability across waves (r = 0.58-0.70). Confirmatory factor analyses supported unidimensional structures for several domains, including self-efficacy, emotional regulation, teacher-student relations, belonging, and school climate. Additional analyses indicated that self-management was better represented by two correlated factors reflecting task regulation and behavioral control, while diversity/inclusion was best represented by two related factors capturing cross-group contact and perceptions of fair treatment. A revised multidimensional confirmatory model demonstrated good overall fit (CFI = 0.976, TLI = 0.973, RMSEA = 0.055, SRMR = 0.049). Measurement invariance analyses supported configural, metric, and scalar invariance across survey waves, grade levels, gender, exceptionality status, English learner status, and racial/ethnic groups; because the multigroup configural baseline showed only marginal absolute fit, we characterize this invariance evidence as supportive rather than definitive. Findings support the reliability, structural validity, and cross-group comparability of the Panorama Student Survey for assessing middle school students' perceptions of school experiences, supporting its use for longitudinal analyses and equitable subgroup comparisons in applied educational settings.
The Devereux Early Childhood Assessment (DECA) is a measure of children's positive social-emotional functioning. This study aimed to validate the factor structure of DECA and test measurement invariance across different demographic groups. Secondary data analysis was conducted using data from one Head Start program, employing a multi-stage sampling approach. DECA scores from 1209 children were used to test for measurement invariance. While one item of the DECA had to be dropped due to low factor loadings, the original 3-factor structure of the DECA was supported. Additionally, measurement invariance was found across gender, race/ethnicity, and home language status. The study's findings support the DECA as a valid and reliable tool for assessing social and emotional development in diverse populations, with implications for research and practice in early childhood assessment.
Individualized Education Programs (IEPs) are the mechanism through which students receive special education services in schools. Little is known about the degree to which federal guidelines and science-based recommendations are evident in IEPs for autistic students, particularly those targeting social-emotional and behavioral health in middle school. Given the centrality of social-emotional and behavioral health in shaping academic success, it is critical to understand how these needs are addressed via IEPs. This study examined the quality of IEPs for 50 autistic students enrolled in grades 6 through 8, including how IEP goals related to social-emotional and behavioral health reflected quality standards established in the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act of 2006 and the National Research Council. Of 347 IEP objectives, just under half (42%) targeted social-emotional and behavioral health-related outcomes. Analysis of IEP quality indicated moderate adherence to legal standards and best practice recommendations, with variation across individual indicators of quality. Moreover, findings suggested IEP alignment with best practice recommendations was higher for children experiencing economic adversity. Results highlight opportunities for school psychologists to lead efforts in increasing knowledge and collaboration among school professionals regarding support for social-emotional and behavioral health skill development in autistic students.
This study aimed to (1) examine measurement invariance of the Delaware Bullying Victimization Scale-Student (DBVS-S) between adolescents recruited from one urban and one rural middle school in China and (2) use network analysis to examine item features of the DBVS-S across samples and identify network differences. A total of 4,527 students were included, comprising 2,074 Chinese urban (44.89% boys and 55.11% girls; Mage = 16.42 years, SD = 0.80 years) and 2,453 rural (49.86% boys and 50.14% girls; Mage = 16.73 years, SD = 1.02 years) adolescents. Results of multi-group confirmatory factor analysis showed that bullying victimization achieved partial scalar invariance. Adolescents in the sampled rural school reported higher levels of verbal, physical, and relational bullying victimization than those in the sampled urban school. Results of network analysis revealed that verbal and physical bullying victimization was at the center of the urban sample's network, whereas relational bullying was at the center of the rural sample's network. The findings suggest that the DBVS-S is valid and reliable for measuring bullying victimization among and across the sampled Chinese urban and rural adolescents, whereas the evidence of partial scalar invariance indicates further adaptation is warranted. Tailored interventions to the unique characteristics of bullying victimization in urban and rural schools are needed.
Teachers' culturally responsive practices and wellbeing have been theorized as relevant to racial disparities in exclusionary discipline, but empirical research examining these associations is limited. Using state administrative data and teacher survey reports from 23 middle schools and 574 teachers, this study examined whether school-level disproportionality in out-of-school suspensions, particularly for soft offenses, was associated with teacher-reported use of culturally responsive practices (CRPs), multicultural teaching self-efficacy, stress, and burnout. Specifically, we used linear regression models with cluster-robust standard errors to account for clustering to examine associations between school-level disproportionality metrics and teacher-reported outcomes. Results indicated that school-level disproportionality was not associated with teachers' self-reported use of CRPs. However, greater disproportionality, particularly for all offenses, was associated with lower multicultural teaching self-efficacy and higher teacher stress; associations with burnout were weaker and less consistent. Counter to expectations, the associations were not stronger for soft offenses than for all offenses. Findings have the potential to inform future research and practice by clarifying which teacher-reported constructs are patterned with racially disproportionate disciplinary contexts. This work may also illustrate the importance of measuring CRPs using other methods beyond educator self-report on and of using more proximal discipline data, such as office referrals and referral-to-suspension decisions.
