Search

The Comprehensive Test of Phonological Processing, 2nd Edition (CTOPP-2; Wagner et al., 2013) is commonly used in k-12 public schools to assess basic cognitive processing skills foundational for reading achievement. Psychometric support for its use with dual language learners (DLLs), a group representing over 10% of the school-aged population in the United States, is critical. This study tested the metric and scaler invariance of CTOPP-2 scores among school-aged children (n = 242; 41.3% Spanish-speaking DLL). Results indicate that the CTOPP-2's three-factor (i.e., Phonological Awareness, Phonological Memory, and Rapid Automatic Naming) measurement structure displays metric and scalar invariance for DLLs. Model fit was improved when the Phonological Awareness and Phonological Memory factors were combined. Implications for future research and the practice of psychoeducational diagnostic assessment with DLLs are discussed.

Background: Increasing academic demands, including larger amounts of assigned homework, is correlated with various challenges for children. While homework stress in middle and high school has been studied, research evidence is scant concerning the effects of homework on elementary-aged children. Objective: The objective of this study was to understand rater perception of the purpose of homework, the existence of homework policy, and the relationship, if any, between homework and the emotional health, sleep habits, and parent-child relationships for children in grades 3-6. Method: Survey research was conducted in the schools examining student (n = 397), parent (n = 442), and teacher (n = 28) perception of homework, including purpose, existing policy, and the childrens' social and emotional well-being. Results: Preliminary findings from teacher, parent, and student surveys suggest the presence of modest impact of homework in the area of emotional health (namely, student report of "boredom" and "frustration"), parent-child relationships (with over 25% of the parent and child samples reporting homework "always" or "often" interferes with family time and "creates a power struggle"), and sleep (36.8% of the children surveyed reported they "sometimes" get less sleep) in grades 3-6. Additionally, findings suggest misperceptions surrounding the existence of homework policies among parents and teachers, the reasons teachers cite assigning homework, and a disconnect between child-reported and teacher reported emotional impact of homework. Conclusions: Preliminary findings suggest homework modestly impacts child well-being in various domains in grades 3-6, including sleep, emotional health, and parent/child relationships. School districts, educators, and parents must continue to advocate for evidence-based homework policies that support children's overall well-being.