Minnesota Executive Function Scale
What is MEFS App™
The Minnesota Executive Function Scale, or “MEFS App™,” is a simple, fun-to-use iOS and Android Tablet app that measures Executive Function skills in children as young as age two into adulthood.
The MEFS App™ gives a direct behavioral measure of Executive Function skills.
Originally developed by Dr. Stephanie M. Carlson & Dr. Philip Zelazo for academic research, the benefit to the broader education community was quickly discovered.
Why choose the MEFS App™ as your Assessment Tool?
Early Intervention
The MEFS App™ can be used for children as young as two years old increasing potential for academic and life success!
Efficient
The MEFS App™ offers measurements in less than 5 minutes and private, protected data output is available immediately.
Easy
The MEFS App™ engages children effectively via a “game-like” experience & gives evaluators all necessary tools to administer without guesswork.
Flexible
The MEFS App™ offers benefits across many child-focused entities including parents, teachers, schools, school districts, and clinical researchers.
Of all the assessment tools we have used, the MEFS App is the easiest to use and has the most timely customer service.
Molly Scott – Teachers College, Columbia University
See the MEFS App™ in action!
Validity of the App™
Content
Assesses Executive Functioning skills like working memory, inhibitory control, and cognitive flexibility in one brief, composite score measure.
Convergent
The MEFS App™ is highly correlated with other Executive Function assessments including the NIH Toolbox Battery of Executive Function Measures, Executive Function Touch Battery, and the Head-Toes-Knees-Shoulders task. The MEFS App™ is briefer than any other measure; designed for a younger/less advantaged starting point; more sensitive to gradual changes, and normed starting at 24 months of age. The MEFS App™ is the only Executive Function measure supported by training, professional development, intervention activities, and data analytics based on over 100,000 test results.
Divergent
The MEFS App™ is not strongly correlated with IQ, and it predicts outcomes over and above IQ, suggesting it is measuring a distinct construct.
Criterion
The MEFS App™ is not strongly correlated with IQ, and it predicts outcomes over and above IQ, suggesting it is measuring a distinct construct.
External
Children who are known to have difficulty with Executive Function perform more poorly on the MEFS App™ (e.g. socioeconomic disadvantage, ADHD symptoms).
Explore the MEFS Technical Report on performance outcomes, the 2021 updated norming sample, reliability, validity, correlations, case studies, and more.
The MEFS Growth Charts (monthly and half-yearly versions) are based on our 2021 youth norms.