Introduction

1. The Relationship Between Family Involvement and Academic Achievement and School Behaviors Among Latino Families Celeste C. MezaCalifornia State University, Long Beach May 2012

2. Introduction Problem Statement • Latino children in the United States are more likely than other ethnic groups to live in poverty (KewalRamani, Gilbertson, Fox, Provasnik, & National Center for Education Statistics, 2007; Lopez & Velasco, 2010). • While Latino students are the fastest growing ethnic group, unfortunately, they also have the highest dropout rates and are at greater risk for academic underachievement (Hess, 2000; KewalRamani, et al., 2007). • Although low-income and youth of color, particularly Latinos and African Americans, are at increased risk of experiencing academic and school behavior challenges, research suggests when families are involved in their children’s education, they are more likely to succeed academically (Anguiano, 2004; Desimone, 1999; Jozefowics-Simbeni & Allen-Meares, 2002; Martinez, DeGarmo & Eddy, 2004). Research Questions The purpose of this study was to explore the relationship between family involvement (FI) and students’ academic achievement and school behaviors among low-income, Latino families. The specific research questions addressed were: 1. What types of family involvement are most prevalent among low-income Latino families? 2. Is there a relationship between family involvement and academic achievement among Latino families? 3. Is the relationship between family involvement and school behaviors (attendance, work habits, social skills) among Latino families? 4. Do these relationships vary by grade level, gender of student, or caregivers’ primary language? 5. Does type of involvement vary by caregivers’ primary language or child’s grade level?

3. Social Work Relevance • Results of the study can contribute to and expand knowledge related to family involvement among Latino families. • As the literature regarding family involvement highly encourages and advocates for family participation in their children’s education, school social workers should strive to maximize family involvement. • It is important for social workers working with vulnerable populations, to not only acknowledge but also work to mitigate barriers that inhibit family involvement in schools. • The study may increase the understanding of the types of involvement and their benefits among Latino families; increasing the likelihood that schools will implement specialized efforts to better serve this population.

4. Cross-cultural Relevance • Although academic achievement and family involvement is a topic that impacts every student, it is crucial to assess for factors that may help vulnerable populations to achieve a higher level of education. • Latino population is expected to rise 45% from 2010 to 2030 (U.S. Census, 2010), it is crucial to understand strategies that may help to improve academic achievement among this population. • Research in this area is critical to school social workers so that they may advocate for and develop culturally-appropriate family involvement programs.

5. Methods Sample/Sampling Method • Convenience subsample, 175 female caregivers of Latino students enrolled in K-5 grade. • All participants were Latinas • Most (90.2%) were monolingual Spanish-speaking. • Seventy five percent of the participants were the children’s mothers. • The families had 226 children. • Children’s grade level, the largest proportions were in 3rd (25.2%) and 2nd (19%) grade. Fifty four percent of the children were males. Data Collection Procedures • Secondary data from the YMCA Family Involvement Project. The data was accessed without identifying information with the permission of the Principal Investigator, Dr. Julie O’Donnell. • Program participants were asked to complete a registration packet that collected information regarding family demographics, a consent form for research, and a brief family involvement survey. • Report card data was obtained yearly from the school sites of the children of those participants who had signed consents authorizing researchers to access the data. • Data for this analysis was collected from the caregiver at program entry and from the semester grades closest to the time when caregivers entered the program.

6. Methods Instruments The Family Involvement Project used the Parent-Teacher Involvement Questionnaire (PTIQ), a standardized instrument to measure the family involvement and school-home relations. This measure has been shown to be both valid and reliable with diverse populations (Kohl, Lengua, McMahon, 2000). The questionnaire consisted of 26 items which were developed to assess family sand teacher involvement focusing on four dimensions: 1. Quality of the Relationship between Family and Teacher 2. Family's Involvement and Volunteering at School 3. Family's Endorsement of Child's School 4. Frequency of Family-Teacher Contact Measures Family Involvement measures: Family-teacher contact scale- Mean of 4 items measuring the frequency of contact between the caregiver and the child’s teacher. FI at school scale- Mean of 5 items measuring the frequency of caregiver involvement with their child’s education activities at school. FI at home scale- Mean of 4 items, was used to measure the frequency of caregiver involvement with their child’s education at home. Family-teacher relationship scale- Mean of 7 items measuring the quality of the family-teacher relationship. Family endorsement of the school scale- Mean of 5 items measuring how strongly the caregiver approved of their child’s school. All FI scales were rated on a Likert scale rating 1-5.

7. Methods Measures cont. Achievement and School Behavior Measures: • Achievement- Mean of 7 items from the report card; grades in reading, writing, language conventions, listening and speaking, math, history/social science and science. Rated on a 1-4 scale; higher scores meant better achievement. • Effort- Mean of 6 items, consisting of effort in reading, writing/language conventions, listening and speaking, math, history/social science and science. Possible grades: “Excellent,” Satisfactory,” and “Needs to improve.” • Social skills- Mean of 6 items; displaying self-control, following classroom/school rules, getting along with others, respecting authority, accepting responsibility for own behavior, respecting property of others. • Work habits- Mean of 5 items; making effective use of time, listening and following directions, completing class work, completing and returning homework, and working independently. Possible social and work habits grades: “Excellent,” Satisfactory,” and “Needs to improve.” • Absenteeism- Number of days the child was absent that semester, as noted on the report card. Data Analysis • Frequencies and descriptives were used to describe the sample and the levels of involvement on each of the family involvement measures. • The reliability of each of the family involvement and report card measures were assessed using Cronbach’s alpha. • Correlations were used to examine the relationships among each of the family involvement measures and the academic and school behavior measures. • Independent t-tests were used to explore differences in family involvement measures by caregiver’s primary language and children’s grade level. • Analyses were done in the full sample and for numerous subsamples including boys, girls, primary grades (K-3), secondary grades (4-5), English-speaking caregivers and Spanish-speaking caregivers.

8. Results 1. What types of family involvement are most prevalent among low-income Latino families? Latina caregivers rated family endorsement and their relationships with their child(ren)’s teachers highest. They engaged in more family involvement activities in the home than at the school. Caregivers had, on average, contact with their child(ren)’s teacher less than one or twice a year. 2. Is there a relationship between family involvement and academic achievement among Latino families? There were no significant relationships among any of the other family and school measures within the full sample. 3. Is the relationship between family involvement and school behaviors (attendance, work habits, social skills) among Latino families? In the full sample, family involvement at school was significantly, negatively correlated with number of days absent (r2 = -.23, p < .05). There were no other significant relationships among any of the other family and school measures within the full sample. 4. Do these relationships vary by grade level, gender of student, or caregivers’ primary language? Grade level: Family involvement at school was significantly, negatively correlated with number of days absent for children in the primary (K-3)grades (r2 = -.26, p < .05). Gender: FI at school was significantly, negatively correlated with number of days absent among boys (r2 = -.29, p < .05). FI at school was significantly, negatively correlated with work habits among girls (r2 = -.21, p < .05). Family-teacher relationship was significantly, positively correlated with achievement (r2 = .23, p < .05). Language: Among English-speaking caregivers, family-teacher contact was significantly, negatively correlated with achievement (r2= -.52, p < .05), and effort (r2= -.54, p < .05). FI at the school was significantly, negatively correlated with effort (r2= -.61, p < . 05). Family-teacher relationship was also significantly, negatively correlated with effort (r2= -.69, p < . 05) and work habits (r2= -.53, p < .05) grades. Among Spanish-speaking caregivers, FI at school was significantly, negatively correlated with number of days absent (r2= -.26, p < .05). Family-teacher relationship was significantly, positively correlated with achievement (r2= .19, p < .05), effort (r2= .17, p < .05) and social skills (r2= .18, p < .05) grades. 5. Does type of involvement vary by caregivers’ primary language or child’s grade level? Language: English speaking caregivers were somewhat more likely to report family-teacher contact than Spanish-speaking caregivers t(16) = 1.70, p < .10. Although not significant, English-speaking caregivers rated all aspects of family involvement higher except for school endorsement Grade level: there were no significant differences in family involvement practices between primary and secondary grades.

9. Implications for Social Work • Results noted home-based family involvement activities were more prevalent among Latino families, implementation of particular practices and policies could prove useful in increasing participation. • Policies and programs implemented by schools should broadly define and recognize family involvement to include home based practices and should acknowledge and encourage the variety of ways Latino families are presently involved in their children’s education. • Implementation of a school policy advocating for increased communication by teachers to families may aid in improving family involvement at schools. • School social workers should advocate for, design and implement family involvement practices that highlight family-teacher relationships, particularly among Spanish speaking caregivers. • Cultural, economic and language barriers must be taken into account, when seeking Latino family involvement. • Reduce language barriers : Implementation of school policy to secure interpreter services at events and disseminating written communication to families in Spanish, and advocate for diverse personnel staff. • Create a welcoming environment: ensure families are aware of the presence and role of the school social worker, create a poster board with school staff information to help foster family-teacher relationships, host social activities (ie: coffee with the principal), make personal invitations to family members to foster collaboration between the school and student’s family • Reduce contextual barriers: Provide child care services, transportation and offer involvement opportunities for families outside of traditional school hours to increase school-based family involvement. • Educate caregivers, school staff and communities on the multiple benefits of family involvement, and diverse opportunities of how they can become involved through workshops, conferences and seminars that school staff may host. • Develop/host workshops that focus on teaching families home-based involvement skills. • Educate families on educational expectations of the school (ie: school-specific policies, opportunities for involvement, college preparation, after-school and tutoring programs and standardized testing) to bring awareness and help families become more confident. • Present workshops that promote caregiver’s skills and enhance their sense of self-efficacy. • Establish collaborative partnerships with community agencies may prove useful in creating a stronger sense of community and allow families to become aware of available resources, (ie: adult education programs, community health clinics, mental health services, and mentoring programs)

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