Premium
Executive function measurement in urban schools: Exploring links between performance‐based metrics and teacher ratings
Author(s) -
Zonneveld Annie K.,
Serpell Zewelanji,
Parr Teresa,
Ellefson Michelle R.
Publication year - 2022
Publication title -
developmental science
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.801
H-Index - 127
eISSN - 1467-7687
pISSN - 1363-755X
DOI - 10.1111/desc.13319
Subject(s) - psychology , executive functions , socioeconomic status , poverty , rating scale , ethnic group , scale (ratio) , developmental psychology , sample (material) , function (biology) , cognition , population , political science , demography , geography , cartography , chemistry , chromatography , neuroscience , sociology , evolutionary biology , law , biology
Abstract When compared to research centered on the executive function development of white, middle‐class children, relatively little is known about their non‐white, low socioeconomic status peers. In an effort to harmonize how executive functions are measured within under‐represented contexts, the present study addresses gaps in the evaluation of everyday executive functioning to better understand whether behavior rating scales completed by teachers (BASC2 EF – BASC executive function scale, 2nd edition; BASC3 EF – BASC executive function scale, 3rd edition) capture distinctions between performance‐based measures. This study includes two large samples of older, ethnic minority children from high‐poverty backgrounds (Sample 1. N = 243; M age = 9.28 years, SD age = 0.80; n female = 125; n AfricanAmerican = 216, n LatinAmerican = 15, n AsianAmerican = 6; Sample 2. N = 229; M age = 10.02 years, SD age = 1.01; n female = 120; n AfricanAmerican = 132, n LatinAmerican = 92, n White = 3, n PacificIslander = 1). Based on structural equation models testing the links between computerized performance‐based measures and the teacher rating scales, the results indicate that BASC2 EF in its original form might be a good fit for some populations but there is not a strong factor structure for the current high‐poverty samples. In addition, post‐hoc analyses suggest that only including BASC2 EF items also in BASC3 EF or using BASC3 EF is best practice for high‐poverty populations. BASC3 EF seems better able to capture different components of performance‐driven tasks, whereas BASC2 EF captures overall executive functioning better than individual tasks. These findings encourage continued questioning surrounding metrics used to assess everyday executive functions in older children from diverse backgrounds. Highlights This study explores whether teacher ratings of children's everyday executive functioning (using standardized behavior rating scales) capture distinctions between performance‐based measures. Results indicate that BASC2 EF teacher rating scale (Karr & Garcia‐Barrera, 2017) is not a good representation of everyday executive function behaviors by children from schools in high‐poverty communities. The findings suggest that restricting BASC2 EF analyses to only items included in BASC3 EF (Reynolds & Kamphaus, 2015) or using BASC3 EF for high‐poverty populations. BASC3 EF seems better able to capture the different components of performance‐driven tasks, whereas BASC2 EF captures overall executive functioning better than individual tasks.