“Tell Them What We Do”: An Evaluation of the AVANCE Parent Education Program

• In Event: Division H Vice-Presidential Invited Session: Fresh and Innovative Graduate Student Work in School-Based Research, Evaluation, and Assessment

Abstract

AVANCE has a national reputation for helping low-income Latino parents. Unfortunately, their effectiveness has not been measured in valid and reliable ways and, as a result, program administrators are left defenseless when it comes to applying for additional funds. The present study aims to evaluate the psychometric properties of the primary instrument AVANCE uses to measure parenting knowledge: The Adult Parent Questionnaire (APQ). Once these properties have been established, I will evaluate the extent to which parents who participated in an AVANCE program have more parenting knowledge than a demographically similar group of parents. Finally, I will compare student test scores and attendance rates to establish whether having a parent who participated in an AVANCE program is educationally advantageous.

Authors

• Felicia Cruz, Saint Mary's University of San Antonio

• Rick Sperling, St. Mary's University San Antonio