The transition from 2nd to 3rd grade has received little notice in education research--yet the authors' experience in elementary school counseling convinced them that most students undergo a seismic shift during this period. Third grade is not only the first year students will encounter standardized end-of-grade tests, but also a year in which…

Like many relatively affluent suburban schools, James E. Daly Elementary in Montgomery County, Maryland, has seen a rapid increase in its Hispanic and bilingual student populations. Many of the school's English language learners come from low-income, immigrant families. Zimmerman-Orozco, the school's assistant principal, describes the strategies…

Two innovative programs in Belgium promote both educational equity and quality as they reach out to ethnically diverse families. The Bridge Person project in Ghent addresses Belgium's immigrant achievement gap by creating meaningful relationships between schools and socially disadvantaged families. The School in Sight project in Antwerp seeks to…

As a researcher in parent engagement in school and former parent activist, the author shares three lessons for sparking more authentic partnerships between schools and immigrant families. First, schools need to move away from deficit thinking and validate families' cultures. In the case of Latino immigrant families, this entails understanding…

When educators seek ways to connect with families and communities, they typically begin by looking outward. They attend to the barriers, challenges, and conditions that exist out there--families living in poverty, differing levels of parental education, and discrepant access to resources. Pushor proposes that educators begin instead by looking…

A recent report points to the potential of the community school movement to concentrate resources in impoverished rural schools and build effective partnerships between the community and school. According to "The Rural Solution: How Community Schools Can Reinvigorate Rural Education," community schools might be the most economically feasible way…

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 2004, immigrant-rich Annandale High School in the Virginia suburbs of Washington, D.C., launched a focused effort to bring more parents of students from immigrant families into school leadership. Nearly half of the parents of Annandale High students are immigrants to the United States--and they come from more than 80 different countries.…

By providing immediate intensive interventions when learning problems occur, the Success for All program has improved the achievement of students at an innercity Baltimore elementary school. (TE)

The Stewart B. McKinney Homeless Assistance Act (1987) provides considerable protection for homeless children's educational needs. States cannot create a separate education system for these kids, and must revise all restrictive policies, laws, and regulations. Educators should work to facilitate schooling continuity, minimize enrollment delays,…

In our rapidly aging society, the support of older adults is critical for public education. Older taxpayers are not as racially diverse as the school children affected by their votes. Although a few districts have recognized senior citizens as rich, untapped resources and implemented systematic intergenerational programs, most efforts are…

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…

Teacher requirements for media centers will change from checking out materials to be used in the classroom to development of personalized curriculum materials; future centers will provide resources and facilities to meet these individual teacher needs. (JD)