Extending Validation of a Social Emotional Health Measure For Middle School Students

Abstract

The Social Emotional Health Survey-Secondary-2020 (SEHS-S-2020) is a well-studied option for assessing social emotional health to support students within a multitiered system of school support. While a growing body of literature supports the SEHS-S-2020 measure for assessing student covitality, there is less validation evidence specifically for middle-school-aged students. The present study aimed to fill this gap in the literature by examining its use for younger adolescents. Study participants were from two samples, including a cross-sectional sample with 9,426 students in Grades 7–8 from 32 counties in California and a longitudinal sample with 414 students in Grades 6–8 from two middle schools. Data analyses examined structural validity, internal consistency, measurement invariance, criterion validity, predictive validity, and response stability. Results indicate excellent fit indices for a four-level higher-order measurement model, with adequate concurrent and one-year predictive validity coefficients, supporting the use of the SEHS-S-2020 measure with young adolescents in middle school settings. The discussion focuses on implications for assessing students’ psychosocial assets, universal school-based screening, and cultural and intersectionality considerations when interpreting SEHS-S-2020 responses.