Documentation of scales implemented from panel wave 1 onwards

This paper documents the questionnaire-based scales and item composites administered in the first two waves of the second TREE cohort (TREE2) in 2017 and 2018. At the centre of this working paper is a technical appendix, which provides, for each scale, a detailed tabular report of selected statistics and quality measures. The focus is on the scales’ reliability, dimensionality and measurement invariance. The scaling and calculation of factor scores rely essentially on the same factor-analytical models and methods as in the TREE2 baseline survey. These are described in detail in sec-tion 3 of the respective documentation of the scales used in that survey (see Sacchi & Krebs-Oesch, 2021). The documentation also describes the selection, calculation and interpretation of the figures and quality measures reported in the tabular appendix (ibid., section 4). Against this backdrop, the explanatory notes in the introduction of the present documenta-tion are restricted to a description of the database for both waves and of some modifications in the applied methods. In addition, we also describe a series of newly introduced statistics of longitudinal measurement invariance for scales with repeated measures

Scaling methodology and scale reporting in the TREE2 panel survey. Documentation of scales implemented in the baseline survey (2016). Update 2023

This documentation refers to the database of the 2nd TREE cohort’s (TREE2) as published in the 2023 data release (TREE, 2023). It outlines the statistical models and estimation methods employed for scale construction and the calculation of student scores based on questionnaire items. Furthermore, we discuss the various metrics and indicators of relevant scale propertiescompiled in the technical appendix for all scales implemented in the TREE2 baseline survey. The focus of the scale reporting is on the internal consistency of the scales and on the comparability of the measurements across survey languages, survey modes and survey settings involved. With very few exceptions, the results indicate at least sufficient or high internal consistency and measurement invariance of the scales used. A complementary documentation covering the scales employed in later panel waves can be found in the 2023 TREE2 data release (Sacchi & Krebs-Oesch, 2023). With the exception of a few additional metrics of longitudinal measurement invariance over panels waves (ibid., sections 3.6, 4.2), it basically relies on the methods presented in this report

Scaling methodology and scale reporting in the TREE2 panel survey. Documentation of scales implemented in the baseline survey (2016)

This paper documents the questionnaire-based scales and item-based composites that have been collected on the occasion of the baseline survey administered to the second TREE cohort (TREE2) in 2016. First, the paper focuses on the methods and the estimation procedures that we have adopted for the calculation of the student scores published in the scientific use data files. Second, we describe the calculation of scale-specific statistics and quality measures (reported in the technical appendix) and provide some clues for their interpretation

Implementation of a reading speed test in the TREE2 panel survey. TREE Technical Paper No. 3

This paper focuses on the implementation and relevant measurement qualities of the bilingual, repeated reading speed test administered to the second TREE cohort (TREE2). Reading speed is a crucial factor for academic success and career trajectories, as it forms the basis for effective learning and information processing. It can also be used as a proxy measure of a person's general reading skills: A high reading speed indicates that an individual is able to extract information from texts rapidly and efficiently, while a low reading speed suggests a slower reading development. The inclusion of the test in the TREE2 panel survey hence provides a database allowing for longitudinal investigation of a wide range of interdependencies between the intra-individual development of an important facet of reading literacy, educational pathways, and the life course in general. To this end, TREE has first developed an online version of the originally paper-based reading speed test which is equally suitable for smartphones, tablets and computers. By digitizing the pencil-and-paper instrument, we improve both test economy and reachability of the target population: Contrary to the original paper-and-pencil test, the adapted version may be applied outside of a classroom setting with a test administrator, thus greatly facilitating test administration and data collection. Second, we developed and implemented a French version of the test, allowing us to extend test ad-ministration to the French-speaking part of the sample. The French version also allows for comparative cross-language analysis of reading speed. The publication of the test data in the 2023 TREE2 data release provides researchers with the opportunity to more comprehensively investigate the role of reading speed in educational and professional contexts and to gain new insights into its impact on individual and societal development

Implementation of a cognitive ability test in the TREE2 panel survey. TREE Technical Paper No. 4

The paper focuses on a test of basic cognitive abilities implemented in the panel survey of the second TREE cohort (TREE2). The inclusion of the test in the TREE2 panel survey provides a database allowing to investigate a wide range of interdependencies between different abilities (mathematics skills, basic cognitive abilities and reading speed). The test relies on the "Kognitiver Fähigkeitstest" (KFT) as developed by Heller & Perleth (2000). TREE has adapted the KFT's N2 subtest on figural analogies to web-administration and translated the test instructions to French and Italian. The paper further informs on conceptional considerations, on details of the adaptations that TREE applied to Heller and Perleth’s original test as well as on test validity and functionality

The TREE Multi-Cohort Panel Study: Theoretical Framework

TREE (Transitions from Education to Employment) was conceived as a multi-disciplinary panel study that investigates educational and employment pathways of two cohorts of young people who left compulsory school after ninth grade in 2000 and 2016, respectively. The study’s main objective is to generate a high-quality scientific longitudinal database for research on school-to-work transitions and, from a long-term perspective, on life courses up to middle age. At the inception of the study, we sought to lay the groundwork for an open theoretical framework that both connects with the research field’s various disciplines and allows for comparative analyses across cohorts. Furthermore, the initial framework had to be open for further development and adjustment of the survey programme — be it due to biographical and life-cycle developments, social changes between cohorts, or methodological or theoretical innovations in the respective fields of research. The paper first presents the general context in which educational and employment pathways of adolescents and young adults unfold by outlining the most salient features of the Swiss education system and labour market. The paper then develops TREE’s theoretical framework both at a general level and with regard to its multi-disciplinary implementation in the design of the study’s survey instruments. The paper concludes by elaborating on how both the theoretical framework and its operationalisation in terms of the development of our survey instruments have evolved between cohorts

TREE2 study design

Detailed description of design and implementation of the TREE study's longitudinal observation of the 2nd school leavers' cohort (TREE2)

TREE2 study design. Update 2023

This document describes the design and implementation of the TREE2 panel survey. The document is published simultaneously with the third release (2024) of scientific use data on the TREE2 cohort. TREE2 is the panel survey following up the second cohort of the TREE study (Transitions from Education to Employment), a large multi-cohort longitudinal survey conducted among Swiss youth after they have completed compulsory school in 2016 (i.e., starting at the end of lower secondary schooling at average age 15-16). Like its predecessor TREE1 that started in 2000 (see TREE’s multi-cohort design in the following chapter), it draws on a baseline survey assessing students’ skills at the end of compulsory school in three language regions of Switzerland (German, French, Italian