Results
Group Differences in Parent Involvement and Its Predictors
Table 1 presents descriptive statistics and mean-level differences between Afro-Caribbean and Latino families on all study variables. According to teacher ratings, Afro-Caribbean and Latino parents were more involved at home than at school. According to their own selfreport, school-based involvement was high for Afro-Caribbean and Latino parents (i.e., both groups had a mean > 4 on a 5-point scale), but ratings were significantly higher for AfroCaribbean parents. In contrast, Afro-Caribbean parents were less likely than Latinos to be involved in school-based activities according to their child’s teachers. There were no significant group differences in home-based involvement, as rated by teachers.
As noted above, Afro-Caribbean and Latino parents differed on a number of family demographic characteristics. In terms of parent cultural characteristics, Afro-Caribbean parents had been living in the United States for slightly longer and they reported a higher American identity, higher American knowledge, and lower ethnic identity. Teachers of Afro-Caribbean and Latino students were similar in their years of teaching experience, their parent involvement practices and their sense of efficacy in promoting parent involvement.