Factor structure of the School Function Assessment

The School Function Assessment (SFA) was developed to provide information o n students' abilities to meet functional demands of the elementary school p rogram. This judgment-based, criterion-referenced assessment supports a com prehensive, detailed examination of the extent to which students with a var iety of disabilities are performing important school-related functional tas ks and activities such as moving around the school, using classroom materia ls, interacting with peers, and caring for personal needs. The factor struc ture 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 obliq ue rotation identified two factors, a Cognitive/Behavioral Function dimensi on and a Physical Function dimension. These factors were moderately correla ted, which is congruent with definitions of the function construct that emp hasize the integration of physical, cognitive, and social abilities in the performance of daily activities in the natural environment.