Examining the Internal Structure and Measurement Invariances of Curriculum-based French Fluency Measures (Poster 15)

• In Event: Division D Graduate Student Committee In-Progress Research Gala Poster Session

Abstract

This study examines the internal structure and measurement invariance of a curriculum-based French fluency assessment, the Test des habiletés fondamentales en littératie (THaFoL), among early French immersion (FI) students in Grades 1 and 2. Using exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses, a two-factor model capturing decoding skills and language knowledge was identified. Longitudinal and demographic invariance analyses revealed metric invariance across grades and diverse student groups, supporting the measure’s fairness and validity. The findings establish THaFoL as a robust tool for identifying reading difficulties and tracking growth, addressing the need for sensitive, equitable assessments in increasingly diverse FI classrooms.

Authors

• Songtao Wang, University of Toronto - OISE

• Juan E. Jiménez, Universidad de La Laguna

• Feng Ji, University of Toronto

• Laura Coon, University of Toronto - OISE

• Kathleen Hipfner-Boucher, University of Toronto

• Becky Chen, University of Toronto - OISE