Measurement equivalence: A non-technical primer on categorical multi-group confirmatory factor analysis in school psychology.

Evidence-based interventions (EBIs) have become a central component of school psychology research and practice, but EBIs are dependent upon the availability and use of evidence-based assessments (EBAs) with diverse student populations. Multi-group confirmatory factor analysis (MG-CFA) is an analytical tool that can be used to examine the validity and measurement equivalence/invariance of scores across diverse groups. The objective of this article is to provide a conceptual and procedural overview of categorical MG-CFA, as well as an illustrated example based on data from the Social and Academic Behavior Risk Screener (SABRS) - a tool designed for use in school-based interventions.

Evaluating the applied use of a mental health screener: Structural validity of the Social, Academic, and Emotional Behavior Risk Screener.

Universal screening for mental health has gained prominence in schools with the adoption of multitiered systems of support. However, there is a general lack of brief, psychometrically defensible instruments that assess emotional and behavioral risk. This study employed a multilevel, confirmatory bifactor analysis to evaluate the factor structure of a novel screening instrument-the Social, Academic, and Emotional Behavioral Risk Screener (SAEBRS; Kilgus & von der Embse, 2014)-examining the structure at the student (within) and teacher or rater (between) levels.