Within special education policy and practice, parents are expected to advocate for their children to receive appropriate special education and related services. However, the majority of parents report feeling disempowered to advocate; families from culturally and linguistically diverse (CLD) backgrounds may feel especially disempowered. Federally…

While the national high school graduation rates for culturally and linguistically diverse students have increased in the last five years, less than half of these students transition from high school to postsecondary settings. In this article we share the lessons learned from nearly a decade of college access and career readiness efforts by a…

The Hoover-Dempsey et al. (2005) model of parents' involvement in their children's schools has recently been applied to Latino immigrant families. This article reviews that literature and then describes culturally appropriate strategies for school counselors to work with this population, focusing on (a) teacher and counselor invitations…

This study focused on a suburban elementary school experiencing significant growth in its Hispanic population over the last decade. Hispanic student achievement in mathematics as measured by state tests lagged behind that of European American students in the school. The literature revealed a positive relationship between parent involvement in…

The philosophy of one California middle school is predicated on providing support whenever needed. Aspiring to provide its Hispanic students with far more than survival skills, the successful school boasts a bilingual staff, personalized instruction, family-outreach programs, and an engaging student- centered curriculum. (MLH)

Family involvement in schools will work only when perceived as an enlarged concept focusing on all children, including those from at-risk families. Each publication reviewed here is specifically concerned with family involvement strategies concerned with all children or targeted at primarily high risk students. Susan McAllister Swap looks at three…

This document is intended to provide educators with guidance and strategies to increase the participation of families from diverse backgrounds in mediation programs to settle differences about educational programs for children with disabilities. Introductory information discusses what mediation is, who mediators are, a typical mediation process,…

Students and parents need ample time and accurate information to prepare for the financial burden of a college education--those who lack this knowledge base face a significant access barrier to higher education. The early intervention community is calling for a method of delivering age-appropriate information in a timely manner as one means of…

Students and parents need ample time and accurate information to prepare for the financial burden of a college education--those who lack this knowledge base face a significant access barrier to higher education. This problem can be countered by the delivery of comprehensive, integrated financial aid information, an approach identified by the…

This 4-year study in a southern California school district examines parent involvement activities affecting about 100 families to encourage Spanish-speaking parents to participate more fully in their children's schooling. Unconventional activities validating families' social and cultural experience are more successful than conventional means of…

Based on the results of a survey of administrators of exceptional student education, a Florida task force examined methods for increasing the involvement of minority parents in the education of their exceptional children and for providing outreach to parents who are isolated. The report centers on parents of exceptional students who are from low…

This book suggests an approach to education that includes students' family members as valuable citizens in a community of learners which also includes students, teachers, and other members of the community at large. Part 1 examines current trends in parental involvement and the hidden assumptions on which many such programs are based. It is argued…

The rosy picture that Asian-American youth are academic successes by almost any gauge does not in fact hold true for many Asian-American students. These students, who make up 7.3 percent of the population of the public schools, are dropping out at a disturbing rate, and those who remain in school face an array of problems such as harassment from…

These two documents pertain to the "Parents and Schools: Success through Partnership" program. The presentation guide for school administrators and Teachers" is intended to help school personnel present the program and its associated video, which addresses common culturally-based causes of misunderstandings between Hispanic American parents and…

This periodical issue focuses on the theme of involvement of families in the education of their children with disabilities. It includes papers with the following titles and authors: "A Message from the Assistant Secretary: Developing Successful Partnerships between Parents and Service Providers" (Robert R. Davila); "Parent Advocacy…