Factor Structure of the School Function Assessment

Abstract

The School Function Assessment (SFA) was developed to provide information on students’ abilities to meet functional demands of the elementary school program. This judgment-based, criterion-referenced assessment supports a comprehensive, detailed examination of the extent to which students with a variety of disabilities are performing important school-related functional tasks and activities such as moving around the school, using classroom materials, interacting with peers, and caring for personal needs. The factor structure underlying the SFA Activity Performance scales was investigated using data from two heterogeneous national samples of students with disabilities (n = 266 and n = 341). Analysis with the principal axis technique and oblique rotation identified two factors, a Cognitive/Behavioral Function dimension and a Physical Function dimension. These factors were moderately correlated, which is congruent with definitions of the function construct that emphasize the integration of physical, cognitive, and social abilities in the performance of daily activities in the natural environment.