Mooney, Kate E orcid.org/0000-0003-4231-1643, Welch, Charlie orcid.org/0000-0002-2421-5538, Palliser, Gareth et al. (4 more authors) (2025) An assessment of the teacher completed 'Early Years Foundation Stage Profile' as a routine measure of child developmental health. PLOS ONE. e0302771. ISSN 1932-6203
Abstract
The routine measurement of children's developmental health varies across educational settings and systems. The Early Years Foundation Stage Profile (EYFSP) is a routinely recorded measure of a child's development completed at the end of their first school year, for all children attending school in England and Wales. Despite widespread use for research and educational purposes, the measurement properties are unknown. This study examined the internal consistency and structural validity of the EYFSP, investigating whether the summed item-level scores, which we refer to as the 'total score', can be used as a summary of children's developmental health. It also examined predictive validity of the total score with respect to later academic attainment and behavioural, social, and emotional difficulties. The data source was the longitudinal prospective birth cohort, Born in Bradford (BiB), and routine education data were obtained from Local Authorities. The internal consistency and structural validity of the EYFSP total score were investigated using Confirmatory Factor Analysis and a Rasch model. Predictive validity was assessed using linear mixed effects models for Key Stage 2 (Maths, Reading, Grammar/Punctuation/Spelling), and behavioural, social, and emotional difficulties (Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire). We found that the EYFSP items demonstrated internal consistency, however, an Item Response model suggested weak structural validity (n = 10,589). Mixed effects regression found the EYFSP total score to predict later academic outcomes (n = 2711), and behavioural, social, and emotional difficulties (n = 984). This study has revealed that whilst caution should be applied for measurement of children with close to 'average' ability levels using the EYFSP, the EYFSP total score is an internally consistent measure with predictive validity.
Metadata
Item Type: | Article |
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Authors/Creators: |
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Copyright, Publisher and Additional Information: | © 2025 Mooney et al. |
Keywords: | Humans,Child,Child Development,Female,Male,Wales,England,Child Health,School Teachers/psychology,Prospective Studies,Longitudinal Studies,Surveys and Questionnaires,Child, Preschool,Schools |
Dates: |
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Institution: | The University of York |
Academic Units: | The University of York > Faculty of Sciences (York) > Health Sciences (York) The University of York > Faculty of Social Sciences (York) > Education (York) |
Depositing User: | Pure (York) |
Date Deposited: | 24 Mar 2025 13:00 |
Last Modified: | 24 Mar 2025 13:00 |
Published Version: | https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0302771 |
Status: | Published |
Refereed: | Yes |
Identification Number: | 10.1371/journal.pone.0302771 |
Open Archives Initiative ID (OAI ID): | oai:eprints.whiterose.ac.uk:224787 |