Extending the Validity of the Family Involvement Questionnaire–short Form for Culturally and Linguistically Diverse Families From Low‐income Backgrounds

Abstract

The construct validity of the Family Involvement Questionnaire–Short Form (FIQ‐SF) was examined in an independent sample of ethnically and linguistically diverse low‐income families (N = 498) enrolled in an urban Head Start program in the Southeast. A series of exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses replicated the three‐factor structure identified in initial validation studies with Northeast samples: home‐school conferencing, home‐based involvement, and school‐based involvement. Findings from multiple group confirmatory factor analyses provided evidence that the three‐factor structure was invariant across family ethnicity. multivariate analyses of variance also confirmed hypothesized mean differences on FIQ‐SF dimension scores across family demographic variables such as caregiver ethnicity, primary home language, caregiver education, employment, and marital status. Findings replicate and extend prior construct validity evidence to support the use of the FIQ‐SF by early childhood education programs such as Head Start serving diverse families from low‐income backgrounds. Implications for future research, practice, and policy applications in early childhood are discussed.

Confirmatory factor analyses comparing parental involvement frameworks with secondary students

“…Factors loadings were similar for the six‐factor model with a range of .50–.64 for school–parent communication , .55–.77 for attending school activities , .65–.96 for parent–child communication , .64–.95 for parental aspirations , .49–.63 for educational activities at home , and .64–.93 for homework support . The range of factor loadings was similar for an assessment of parental involvement in early childhood (Bulotsky‐Shearer, Bouza, Bichay, Fernandez, & Hernandez, ). In all, the factor loadings were fairly strong for most of the six‐factor model, with school–parent communication and educational activities at home demonstrating lower loadings.…”

Understanding the Relation Between Family Engagement in Education and Preschoolers’ Socioemotional and Behavioral Functioning in a Primarily Latinx Sample

“…Although not specifically designed through work with Latinx caregivers, the measure has been used in multiple studies with Latinx caregivers. Its three-factor structure has been replicated in Latinx populations (McWayne et al, 2015) and reported to be invariant between African American and Latinx (Spanish and English speaking) caregivers of children enrolled in Head Start (Bulotsky-Shearer et al, 2016). Scores on the measure are internally consistent (α > .80, Bulotsky-Shearer et al, 2016; Fantuzzo et al, 2013).…”

“…Its three-factor structure has been replicated in Latinx populations (McWayne et al, 2015) and reported to be invariant between African American and Latinx (Spanish and English speaking) caregivers of children enrolled in Head Start (Bulotsky-Shearer et al, 2016). Scores on the measure are internally consistent (α > .80, Bulotsky-Shearer et al, 2016; Fantuzzo et al, 2013). Also, FIQ-SF scores demonstrated concurrent validity through correlations with indices of parental satisfaction of their child’s preschool program (Fantuzzo et al, 2013).…”

“…Specific studies have operationalized the behaviors central to educational engagement and involvement differently, but empirical evidence from large studies with White, African American, and Latinx caregivers of young children suggested these behaviors can be classified in three distinct domains: home-based involvement (e.g., reading to children, educational outings, discussing school, etc. ), school-based involvement (e.g., volunteering in children’s classrooms, attending caregiver workshops, or training offered at the school) and home-school conferencing (e.g., talking to children’s teachers about classroom rules, talking to the teacher about how children are adjusting to the school environment) (Bulotsky-Shearer et al, 2016; Fantuzzo et al, 2004, 2013).…”

Factorial Validity of Teacher and School Counselor Support Scales in Latina/o Students

“…Similar to other researchers (Author, 2016a;Bulotsky-Shearer, Bouza, Bichay, Fernandez, & Hernandez, 2016;Edwards, 2004), we use Latina/o to refer to individuals who are associated with one of the following: Cuban, Dominican, Mexican, Puerto Rican, Spanish, or communities from Central or South America (U.S. Census Bureau, 2008). Despite this demographic shift in the U.S., Latina/o students have low academic achievement and the highest high school dropout rates (American Council on Education [ACE], 2012).…”