Presenter(s)

• Denise Lopez Sosa, Graduate Student, University of California, Santa Barbara
• Emanuel Perez, Doctoral Student, University of California, Santa Barbara
• Arnold Rodriguez Robles, Doctoral Student, University of California, Santa Barbara
• Meghna Paul, Doctoral Student, University of California, Santa Barbara
• Matthew Quirk, Assistant Professor, University of California-Santa Barbara
• Erin Dowdy, Assistant Professor, University of California, Santa Barbara
• Antoniya Terzieva, Associate Specialist II, University of California, Santa Barbara

Abstract

Latine youth represent one of the fastest-growing populations in U.S. K-12 schools. Major demographic shifts have highlighted the need to better support for Latine students and their families. Parental engagement, defined as parents’ involvement in their children's educational experiences, has been strongly linked to academic achievement, but little is known about its predictors among Latine families. Moreover, much of the existing research focuses primarily on White, middle-class families, leaving a gap in understanding for its importance for Latine populations. This study aimed to identify which specific parental protective factors—social connections, concrete support in times of need, and social and emotional competence of children—predict parental engagement among Latine parents. Additionally, the study examined whether gender moderated these associations. Participants included 915 parents of kindergarten students across coastal central California who identified as Hispanic or Latine. Parents completed the Parents' Assessment of Protective Factors (PAPF) and the Parental Engagement of Families from Latine Backgrounds (PEFL) surveys upon their children’s kindergarten entry. A hierarchical linear regression revealed that, when controlling for the effects of other parental protective factors, parental engagement was significantly predicted by concrete supports (b = 0.31, p < .001) and highest level of parental education (b = 0.21, p < .01), but not by social connections or self-reported social-emotional competence. These findings suggest that that providing concrete supports such as parent workshops, and school community resources can be beneficial to parental engagement regardless of education level.