The primary objective of this study was to obtain a multidimensional picture of parent involvement in kindergarten. Participants in this study were 307 low-income, ethnic minority children and their primary caregivers in a large, urban school district in the Northeast. Results revealed that kindergarten parent involvement dimensions (i.e., from the Parent Involvement in Children's Education Scale; Fantuzzo, Tighe, McWayne, Davis, & Childs, 2002) were congruent with those established with preschool (Head Start) parents. Multivariate relationships were found between kindergarten parent involvement dimensions and children's social and academic competencies. Parents who actively promote learning in the home, have direct and regular contact with school, and experience fewer barriers to involvement have children who demonstrate positive engagement with their peers, adults, and learning.

The present study represents a twofold investigation wherein (a) the construct validity of the Pictorial Scale of Perceived Competence and Social Acceptance for Young Children (PSPCSA) and (b) the developmental appropriateness of the PSPCSA were empirically examined for urban Head Start children. Data were collected from a sample of 476 African-American children (48-64 months) representing children enrolled in a large metropolitan Head Start program. In the first study, neither replication of the test author's statistical procedures nor a series of exploratory factor analyses produced psychologically meaningful constructs. A second study tested the assumption that the PSPCSA administration format is developmentally appropriate for preschool children. Results from this study did not support the assumption that the PSPCSA is developmentally appropriate for preschool children. Implications for establishing valid assessment methods for urban Head Start children were discussed.

The present study represents a twofold investigation wherein (a) the construct validity of the Pictorial Scale of Perceived Competence and Social Acceptance for Young Children (PSPCSA) and (b) the developmental appropriateness of the PSPCSA were empirically examined for urban Head Start children. Data were collected from a sample of 476 African-American children (48-64 months) representing children enrolled in a large metropolitan Head Start program. In the first study, neither replication of the test author's statistical procedures nor a series of exploratory factor analyses produced psychologically meaningful constructs. A second study tested the assumption that the PSPCSA administration format is developmentally appropriate for preschool children. Results from this study did not support the assumption that the PSPCSA is developmentally appropriate for preschool children. Implications for establishing valid assessment methods for urban Head Start children were discussed.

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