Estimating School Climate Traits Across Multiple Informants: An Illustration of a Multitrait-Multimethod Validation Through Latent Variable Modeling

• NCJ Number: 251867
• Journal: Educational Assessment Volume: 22 Issue: 1 Dated: 2017 Pages: 54-69
• Author(s): Timothy R. Konold; Kathan Shukla
• Date Published: 2017
• Length: 16 pages
• Grant Number(s): 2012-JF-FX-0062
• Sponsoring Agency: Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP)
• Publication Format: Article
• Publication Type: Research (Applied/Empirical); Report (Study/Research); Report (Grant Sponsored); Program/Project Description
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America

Annotation

This article reports on a demonstration of the usefulness of a latent variable multilevel multitrait-multimethod measurement model for extracting trait factors from reports of school climate obtained by students (N = 45,641) and teachers (N = 12,808) in 302 high schools.

Abstract

The use of multiple informants is common in assessments that rely on the judgments of others; however, ratings obtained from different informants often vary as a function of their perspectives and roles in relation to the target of measurement and causes unrelated to the trait being measured. The proposed framework was extended to include assessments of linkages between the resulting trait factors and potential outcomes that might be used for addressing questions of substantive interest or providing evidence of concurrent validity. The approach is illustrated with data obtained from student and teacher reports of two dimensions of school climate, student engagement, and the prevalence of teasing and bullying in their schools. (Publisher abstract modified)