Karen L. Mapp--former Deputy Superintendent for Family and Community Engagement for Boston's schools and noted researcher and author on how schools can partner with families--talks with "EL" editor Naomi Thiers on the need to approach engaging family caregivers in students' learning in a new way, starting with emphasizing active…

Research indicates that family literacy programs can provide opportunities for educational success for parents and children. The benefits reaped by the children in family literacy workshops are presented.

Children experiencing the trauma of divorce often feel alone and ashamed. This article describes a Virginia elementary principal's provision of school support groups to give children a chance to acknowledge their problems and discuss their feelings. The project was developed in cooperation with a community family services agency. (MLH)

Describes an Indiana elementary school's first family day, in which over 200 parents participated in a full day of activities (discussions, films, singing, dancing) with their children. This rewarding experiment will pave the way for future attempts to celebrate the family and strengthen school pride. (MLH)

Research in the neurobiological, behavioral, and social sciences has dramatically increased our capacity to provide effective intervention for economically disadvantaged children. According to Neuman, however, U.S. policymakers have made little use of this body of research to improve the prospects of children at risk. This article discusses seven…

Profiles Lina Gomez, a social worker and Title I case manager who works in a Southwest border town and helps immigrant families obtain food and clothing, understand their legal rights, review rental and employment contracts, utilize Head Start services, and deal with arrest and deportation processes. The rationale for educating undocumented…

Educators at two elementary schools in Arlington, Virginia, have designed evening programs to help immigrant parents acclimate to U.S. schooling practices. One school has a program that orients parents and explains teachers' expectations while children learn socialization skills. The other school combines a similar program with parent volunteer…

In summer 1995, Dallas Public Schools formed a partnership with a primary care system and a mental health agency. The result was the opening of nine youth and family centers located on or near school campuses. Services are designed to promote academic success, resiliency, and self-sufficiency. By offering families and students needed support, the…

Recognizing that religion can positively transform people's lives and that churches and synagogues have altruistic members with diverse abilities, the Escambia County (Florida) School District created church care teams to work with special-needs families and their schools over an extended time. Positive changes in target families are already…

Notes that teaching social and emotional skills can have a long-term positive effect on academic achievement. The University of Washington's Raising Healthy Children Project tries to reduce children's risk of developing problems in adolescence by providing interventions that bond students to family and school. The program features staff…

To serve poor youngsters and their families, South Bay Union School District developed its own preschool campus, the VIP (Very Important Preschoolers) Village. The program depends on strong administrative support, planned staff development, parent involvement, parent education programs, community partnerships, curriculum/assessment alignment, and…

Summarizes the benefits of early childhood education programs offering new hope to disadvantaged children and long-range savings to taxpayers. Reviews major issues concerning public preschool education, including funding, eligibility, need for high quality programs with a child development emphasis, adequate staffing, and appropriate child and…

Molly Stark School in Bennington, Vermont, is a year-round community school that offers a range of education, health and social services benefiting the students, community, and parents. Five successful initiatives (after-school, birth-to-5, mentoring, health and wellness, and parent literacy and involvement programs) are described. (MLH)

Schools can reduce special-education and remedial instruction costs by helping students succeed in early grades. This article profiles several prevention and early intervention programs, including Success for All, Reading Recovery, Prevention of Learning Disabilities, the Carolina Abecedarian Project, Comer's School Development Program, and…