Longitudinal Profile Analysis Via Multidimensional Scaling:Introduction and Discussion of a Newly Developed Growth Modeling Technique

This study introduces a newly developed growth modeling technique that is the Longitudinal Profile Analysis via Multidimensional Scaling (LPAMS). The current study attempts to examine the growth pattern of student math achievement between 1997 and 2000 and the individual differences in the growth profiles, as well as the potential effects of the covariates. Compared to other growth modeling techniques, the most crucial benefits of LPAMS are that, 1) it has relatively small number of statistical assumptions, and 2) it can give information about growth patterns of every single individual. The purpose of this article is to alert educational researchers to selected analytical issue that would be required for consideration to apply this modeling method to longitudinal academic achievement studies. The results indicated that unequal growth rates were found and there was negative relationship between initial status and growth rate. Students at disadvantage did not make up the lost ground. Other practical issues pertaining to this growth modeling method are also discussed.