Latent Variable Modeling of Longitudinal and Multilevel Data

An overview is given of modeling of longitudinal and multilevel data using a latent variable framework. Particular emphasis is placed on growth modeling. A latent variable model is presented for three-level data, where the modeling of the longitudinal part of the data imposes both a covariance and a mean structure. Examples are discussed where repeated observations are made on students sampled within classrooms and schools.