This article discusses the findings from a mixed-method study examining the relationship between social resources and levels of parent involvement in statefunded preschool programs in Illinois. Using survey data from the Illinois Birth to Five Evaluation (n = 843) and interviews with ten preschool administrators who completed the survey, the study found the number of social resources provided by a program was positively associated with levels of parent involvement. The correlation analysis (r = -0.22, p = .0001) and analysis of variance (ANOVA) F(2,708) = 23.19, p = .0001 findings both demonstrated positive relationships wherein high numbers of social resources were associated with higher levels of parent involvement in programs. Administrator interviews confirmed survey findings and suggested additional influences on parent involvement levels and use of social resources in programs. Implications for supporting child welfare and policy recommendations for early childhood programs are provided.Keywords Early childhood programs Á Preschool programs Á Child welfare Á Parent involvement Á Social support Á Social resources Increasing standards are requiring high-quality early childhood programs to address the educational and noneducational needs of participants (Ritchie and Willer 2008;Olds et al. 2007;Kirp 2007;Schweinhart 2004). Two components of high-quality settings are parent involvement and the provision of social resources to meet the noneducational needs of participants. To meet increasing quality standards, it will be important for early childhood programs to know what is necessary to engage parents and understanding the impact of that involvement. Additionally, high-quality programs must be able to identify the non-educational needs of participants and what resources would be needed to meet those needs. Though parent involvement and social resources are valued in early childhood settings, there are relatively few studies that examine the relationship between the two and the subsequent impact on child and family outcomes.
Background for Study
This study contributes to the literature on parent involvement by examining predictors of educational leadership interests of parents of English learners (ELs). Using a sample of 129 parents of ELs who represented diverse ethnic backgrounds, the researchers examined parent leadership interests with survey research. Parent leadership interests were significantly predicted by expectations for children's educational success, encouragement from teachers, and parents’ own level of education. Specifically, parents with lower educational expectations for their children, who were encouraged to be involved by their children's teachers, and with higher levels of formal education were more likely to express leadership interests. These data have implications for how schools could extend outreach efforts to encourage participation of parents who may see themselves as less effective leaders.
It has been acknowledged that children from poverty begin school missing many of the prerequisites for school success. The 1963 US initiative, Head Start, is the major federal program aimed at providing children in poverty the experiences necessary to start school on an equal footing with their same-age peers. This article uses data from the Early Childhood Longitudinal Study (ECLS) to examine the reading and math assessment scores of Head Start children as compared to their same-age peers at kindergarten entry. The data suggests that while Head Start children score higher than their same-age peers when compared to non-Head Start children from the same socio-economic status, there is still a gap between Head Start children and their peers in schools with higher social economic standing. The article brings an interdisciplinary focus to the issue of how ‘peer’ is defined for disadvantaged children when examining achievement gaps and relative program effectiveness.
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