Parent involvement in school conceptualizing multiple dimensions and theirrelations with family and demographic risk factors

Parent involvement (PI) in school is associated with more positive academic performance and social competence in children. However, there are inadequa cies in current measures of PI and a need for a better understanding of pre dictors of PI. In this study, measures were obtained from a normative sampl e of 387 children in kindergarten and first grade from high-risk neighborho ods in 4 different sites. First, a confirmatory factor analysis of a theore tical factor model of PI identified 6 reliable multiple-reporter rr factors : Parent-Teacher Contact, Parent Involvement at School, Quality of Parent-T eacher Relationship, Teacher's Perception of the Par: ent, Parent involveme nt at Home, and Parent Endorsement of School. Next, the relations among 3 s pecific family and demographic risk factors-parental education level, mater nal depression, and single-parent status-and these 6 PI factors were examin ed using path analyses in structural equation modeling. Results indicated t hat the 3 risk factors were differentially associated with the 6 PI factors : Parental education was significantly associated with 3 PI outcomes, mater nal depression was significantly associated with 5 PI outcomes, and single- parent status was significantly associated with 3 PI outcomes. No significa nt ethnic group differences between African American and Caucasian families were found in these relations. (C) 2000 Society fur the Study of School Ps ychology. Published by Elsevier Science Ltd.