Longitudinal Measurement Invariance of the Authoritative School Climate Survey

Abstract

This study evaluated the longitudinal psychometric properties of the Authoritative School Climate Survey (ASCS) using a statewide sample of middle and high schools across 8 years. Multilevel confirmatory factor analyses were conducted to test the longitudinal measurement invariance of three scales on the ASCS: disciplinary structure, teacher respect for students, and students’ willingness to seek help. These scales demonstrated strong factorial invariance across all time points for both middle and high schools. Results support the use of these scales in evaluating longitudinal change in school climate.

Construct and Structural Equivalence of the English and Spanish versions of the Authoritative School Climate Survey

“…The value of these scales has been documented in several studies that have focused on their relationship with academic engagement, grades, and educational aspirations (Cornell et al, 2016); suspension rates (Heilbrun et al, 2018); student risk behaviors (Cornell & Huang, 2016); dropout rates (Jia et al, 2015); student threat assessment (Nekvasil & Cornell, 2015); and middle school grade configuration (Malone et al, 2017). More recently, evidence to support the longitudinal measurement invariance of these scales, across 8 years, has been provided for both middle and high school samples, paving the way for evaluation of changes to school climate on these constructs (Konold et al, 2021).…”