Family Engagement in Children’s Early Learning Among Low-Income Latino Caregivers: Validation of a Culture-Contextualized Measure

• In Event: Advancements in Assessing the Early Educational Experiences of Diverse Children and Families Living in Poverty

Abstract

Objectives
The present study is an extension of prior work (McWayne et al., 2013), which employed a mixed-methods, emic approach to develop new measures of Latino family engagement. Nuanced dimensions of family engagement emerged with 763 Latino Head Start parents. For example, in addition to a school participation factor, home-based involvement, usually captured uni-dimensionally, was represented through three factors (i.e., Foundational Education, Supplemental Education, Future-Oriented Teaching), reflecting, we posit, cultural values and socio-economic realities in U.S. Latino communities (McWayne et al., 2013). Foundational Education reflects the dual focus of the Spanish term and cultural value of educación which includes socio-emotional skills fostered in the home and cognitive skills developed through schooling (Okagaki & Bingham, 2010; Reese et al., 1995). Future-oriented Teaching, as another example, might be more salient for low-income, immigrant families, as it involves talking with children about the importance of education and “a good life” (Suárez-Orozco, Rhodes, & Milburn, 2009). The purpose of this study was to examine the construct validity of the 43-item measure across English and Spanish language versions.

Perspective
Establishing meaningful connections with families to promote children’s school success is especially critical for low-income, immigrant families, whose children face greater odds of difficulty in school (García Coll et al., 2002). Research suggests that family engagement early in children’s educational trajectory could help to address the achievement gap (Jeynes, 2005; Wong & Hughes, 2006). For this reason, Head Start has prioritized family engagement within its core mission (i.e., 1304.40 Family Partnerships; U. S. Department of Health and Human Services, 2009).
Latino children represent the single largest ethnic group served by Head Start (36%; Center for Law and Social Policy, 2012). But, there is limited work on parental engagement among Latino populations, especially among immigrant families who are at greater risk for experiencing cultural and linguistic discontinuities with the educational system (McWayne et al., 2008; Ramirez, 2003). There is a need to develop culture-contextualized models to understand the ways Latino parents participate in and support their children’s early school experiences. Current tools fail to capture engagement behaviors unique to this group, because they fail to link shared values to Latino family processes related to education (McWayne et al., In press).

Methods, data and results
Four hundred sixty-three Latino caregivers participated in this follow-up study. The four dimensions of family engagement from the prior study were confirmed via confirmatory factor analyses (using MPLUS 6.2; Muthen & Muthen, 2011), employing the WLSMV estimation technique for categorical data (DiStefano & Hess, 2005). Fit indices revealed the four-factor model to be superior (χ2 = 1283.57, df = 854, p <.0000; TLI = .94; CFI = .94; RMSEA =.03 [CI = .029-.037]; Tables 3-4). These family engagement dimensions demonstrated relations with demographic characteristics and caregiver-reported levels of social support.

Scholarly significance
This study provides further empirical evidence for the promise of emic approaches leading to more culturally relevant measurement of parenting behaviors (McWayne et al., 2008; Weisner, 2005). Such information is sorely needed to stimulate future research and support culturally-responsive practice.

Authors

• Christine M McWayne, Tufts University

• Gigliana Melzi, New York University