| Research findings suggest a positive relationship between parental school involvement and children's academic performance as well as a low rate of parental school involvement among low-income, ethnic-racial minority parents. In addition, research suggests that process variables, or how parents promote their children's learning, have a greater influence on children's academic achievement than family social status variables. The aims of this study were to investigate whether: (a) the three process variables identified in Hoover-Dempsey and Sandler's model (role construction, sense of efficacy, and sense of being invited to participate) provide unique contributions to account for parental involvement among African American and Latino parents, (b) process variables mediate the effect of status variables on parental involvement practices, and (c) more culturally sensitive survey items provide additional information about parental school involvement among low-income African American and Latino parents. Only one variable from the HDS model, perceptions of teachers' invitations, was a consistent unique predictor of parents' school involvement practices. Similarly, only one variable, the parallel variable from the culturally sensitive model created specifically for this study, uniquely predicted involvement practices, although, to a lesser extent. Annual income and race were mediated by HDS perceptions of teacher invitations. The use of culturally sensitive items and a culturally sensitive approach provided additional information about participants and amplified or broadened the operationalization of the HDS constructs. |
