Examining ethnic/racial measurement invariance in fourth-grade executive function: A registered report of data from the ECLS-K

Executive function remains one of the most investigated constructs in both cognitive science and education given its high correlation with numerous academic outcomes. Differences appear in executive function skills between children from different racial/ethnic backgrounds, with children from under-resourced and minoritized communities demonstrating poorer performance relative to their peers with more resources. However, it remains unclear whether observed differences in performance are a function of biased measures or reflect true differences in executive function capacity. Therefore, using nationally representative data from the Childhood Longitudinal Study (ECLS-K 2010-11), this study examines whether the psychometric properties of executive function are equivalent across race and ethnicity, including Black, White, Latine, and Asian children in the fourth grade. Results of a partial tau-equivalent model reveal configural invariance cannot be established between any two racial/ethnic groups, suggesting potential bias in the measurement of EF. At a minimum, caution should be taken when making claims about racial/ethnic differences in EF performance. Further efforts should be made to test assessments and models of EF that function similarly across racial/ethnic groups.