Associations among African American Parents’ Beliefs, Involvement, and Measures of School Readiness

Parents’ beliefs about school readiness have been linked to their involvement practices and children’s achievement. However, there is some evidence to suggest associations among parental beliefs, practices, and children’s outcomes may vary by families’ racial and ethnic background. This study examines the associations among African American parents’ beliefs about school readiness, home-based involvement, and measures of school readiness for children during the transition to kindergarten. Drawing upon data from the Early Childhood Longitudinal Study—Kindergarten cohort: 2011 (N = 1716) a structural equation model was estimated and results show that African American parents’ school readiness beliefs were positively associated with children’s beginning achievement. In addition, parents’ home-based involvement was positively associated with children’s academic achievement and social skills. The most salient finding is that parents’ school readiness beliefs positively predicted their home-based involvement, which in turn was positively associated with children’s academic achievement and social skills. These findings have practical implications for educators and policymakers who aim to enhance home-school partnerships and parent education programs serving African American families. Results suggest that early interventions focused on encouraging parental involvement should consider parents’ beliefs about the importance of literacy, numeracy, paying attention, and behaving well, as they promote resilience among African American students.