The purpose of this study was to investigate the validity of the HOPE Scale for identifying gifted English language learners (ELs) and how classroom and English as a second language (ESL) teacher HOPE Scale scores differ. Seventy teachers completed the HOPE Scale on 1,467 students in grades K-5 and four ESL teachers completed the scale on 131 ELs. Measurement invariance tests indicated that the HOPE Scale yields noninvariant latent means across EL and English proficient (EP) samples. However, confirmatory factor analysis results support the use of the scale with ELs or EP students separately. Results also indicate that the rating patterns of classroom and ESL teachers were different and that the HOPE Scale does not yield valid data when used by ESL teachers. Caution is recommended when using the HOPE Scale and other teacher rating scales to compare ELs to EP students. The importance of invariance testing before using an instrument with a population that is different from the one(s) for which the instrument was developed is discussed.

这项研究的目的是调查HOPE量表在识别资优英语学习者（EL）方面的有效性，以及课堂和英语作为第二语言（ESL）老师HOPE量表得分之间的差异。七十名老师完成了对K-5年级的1,467名学生的HOPE量表，四名ESL老师对131个EL进行了量表。测量不变性测试表明，HOPE量表在EL和英语熟练（EP）样本中产生不变的潜在均值。但是，验证性因素分析结果支持EL或EP学生分别使用该量表。结果还表明，课堂和ESL教师的评分模式不同，并且HOPE量表在被ESL教师使用时无法提供有效的数据。当使用HOPE量表和其他教师评分量表来比较EL和EP学生时，建议谨慎。讨论了在使用种群不同于该仪器开发对象的仪器之前进行不变性测试的重要性。