Graduate Student Research Symposium 2026

The Academic Positive Youth Development (A-PYD) framework captures students’ strengths within school contexts, extending the broader 5Cs model (competence, confidence, connection, character, and compassion) to educational settings. This study developed and validated a brief A-PYD measure using item response theory (IRT). Two-wave data were collected from 612 Filipino senior secondary students (Mage = 16.87; 54.25% males). Graded response models were applied to the original 15-item scale to identify one highly informative item per dimension, yielding a concise 5-item version (A-PYD5). Confirmatory factor analyses supported a unidimensional structure with adequate convergent validity and internal consistency across both time points. Longitudinal measurement invariance analyses confirmed full configural, metric, scalar, and residual invariance across an eight-month interval. IRT results demonstrated adequate item- and scale-level psychometric properties. The A-PYD5 offers a psychometrically robust, context-sensitive tool for assessing academic positive youth development in research and educational practice.