Project MIDAS: Development of a Multi-Informant Decisional Assessment System

For this project, the first phase is to calibrate the MIDAS system using a large extant database of schools that have utilized the SAEBRS (N=6,000) and an item response theory-based scoring system across teacher and student SAEBRS forms. Researchers will calibrate the system with pre-test risk factors and existing data from school wide information systems. The second phase will cross-validate using new universal screenings from two teachers (homeroom, subject area), student-self report, extant student data (such as office discipline referrals), and demographic data (such as ethnicity and age). The research team will use a Bayesian approach to estimate individual student probabilities and evaluate the resulting MIDAS score with respect to test fairness/measurement invariance, usability, and accuracy. A third phase will test the feasibility of MIDAS and associated procedures within educational contexts. The team will give schools access to a MIDAS prototype and trained in its use to inform screening decisions. Via a mixed-methods approach, MIDAS end-users (administrators, teachers, and student support personnel such as school psychologists, counselors, and social workers) will then provide information regarding the feasibility of MIDAS implementation at the end of the school year. These data will inform how MIDAS will be used in real-world decision-making, with a focus on usability and sustainability. The research team will use findings from the final phase to inform the refinement of the MIDAS prototype, implementation guidance, and training procedures.