Concurrent Validity of the School Outcomes Measure and the School Function Assessment in Elementary Students

Examine the concurrent validity of the School Outcomes Measure (SOM) and the School Function Assessment (SFA) in students kindergarten through sixth grade.

Twenty-four school-based therapists completed the SOM and the SFA for 42 students, representing Gross Motor Function Classification System (GMFCS) levels I to V.

Correlation coefficients between SOM Self-Care, Mobility, and Assuming Student's Role median total scores and the 21 SFA Activity Performance scale median criterion scores were statistically significant. There were significant correlation coefficients between SOM Expressing Learning and Behavior and SFA median criterion scores. The SOM differentiated between GMFCS groups for all physical tasks but not cognitive/behavioral tasks, and the SFA for half of the physical tasks.

Overall, student performance on the SOM was consistent with participation on the SFA, which lends support to the preliminary validity of the SOM. The GMFCS analysis suggests that the SOM differentiates between the GMFCS levels for physical tasks.