Reliability of the school AMPS measures

Area of Science:

• Occupational Therapy
• Educational Psychology
• Psychometrics

Background:

• The Assessment of Motor and Process Skills (AMPS) is a standardized measure of functional ability.
• The School AMPS version specifically targets the evaluation of motor and process skills in educational settings.
• Reliability of assessment tools is crucial for valid clinical and educational decision-making.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate and cross-validate the reliability of the School Version of the Assessment of Motor and Process Skills (School AMPS).
• To provide evidence supporting the consistency of School AMPS measures for occupational therapists.

Main Methods:

• Split-half reliability was estimated using data from 6,194 students performing at least two School AMPS tasks.
• Two distinct split-half methods (vertical and horizontal item splitting) were employed.
• Rasch equivalent of Cronbach's alpha and standard error of measurement (SEm) were also calculated.

Main Results:

• All three reliability estimation methods produced high reliability coefficients (r ≥ 0.70).
• The overall standard error of measurement (SEm) was found to be low.
• These findings indicate strong internal consistency and stability of the School AMPS measures.

Conclusions:

• The School AMPS demonstrates reliable performance measures, offering confidence to occupational therapists.
• The study provides evidence supporting the use of School AMPS for student evaluation, intervention planning, and outcome measurement.
• Consistent findings across multiple reliability methods underscore the clinical importance of the School AMPS.