The benefit of parental involvement (PI) cannot be underestimated, most specifically, the PI that operates on mutual trust and respect, and balancing of power between homes and schools. It is particularly beneficial to students who are learning English as a second language because their parents can partner with educators to close the achievement…

This study draws from general parent involvement research and subtopics in the areas of parent advocacy in special education, parent leadership in both regular and special education, and models of parent involvement. Much of the existing research is concerned with understanding the problem and importance of Latino parent involvement in education…

Low graduation rates in many Tennessee high schools present a significant problem. Many students are not prepared to graduate. Parent involvement advocates contend that the more involved parents are in their children's education, from preschool through the secondary schooling levels, the better the probability their children will graduate from…

In 2011, pepnet 2 launched the Deaf Learner Initiative (DLI). The goals of this initiative were to examine the existing paradigms, programs, pedagogy and relevant research related to the educational and vocational needs of deaf learners. The DLI was comprised of a variety of activities including the Deaf Learner Symposium, the creation of three…

Educators' expectations and understandings of parental involvement in our nation's schools are often disconnected from the reality of students' home lives. This qualitative study purports that educators often lose opportunities to more fully understand and serve students, particularly when perceptions of parental involvement and…

Describes a model implemented by the Little Rock (Arkansas) school district that focused on the transition of children with special needs from preschool and home-based programs into district kindergarten. The model's main emphasis was on cooperating with and empowering all parents to act as independent and informed advocates for their children.…

This resource training manual for family advocacy workers is designed to help these workers meet the needs of families who care for adolescents with emotional disabilities. It is intended for use with a companion manual which focuses on the needs of youth themselves, and stresses that effective case management must integrally involve both youths…

An ecological model for service and advocacy for handicapped children through a residential diagnostic center is presented. Such a model is explained to provide a meaningful interrelationship of varied resources and agencies at the local, state, and federal level with a focus on the generic program. Four positive interfacing functions relating to…

Oakland Community Organizations (OCO) has worked for over ten years to improve educational opportunities in low-income neighborhoods in Oakland, California. The work of thousands of parent, teacher, youth, and community leaders has resulted in the formation of nearly fifty new small schools and more than ten charters, creating settings for…

This article describes models and methods of advocacy for families of children with disabilities in elementary and middle school, including self-advocacy, social support advocacy, interpersonal advocacy, and legal advocacy. Issues for parents during these years are discussed, as are the role and needs of siblings. Advocacy is seen as a dynamic…

This study characterized individual advocacy performance differences of 3 individuals with developmental disabilities and 21 parents before and after participating in training programs called Partners in Policymaking. A three group taxonomy of advocate development (beginner, involved, and activist) is suggested. (DB)

This feature issue of IMPACT focuses on the empowerment of families with a member who has a developmental disability. It presents strategies and models for a collaborative, respectful approach to service provision, and presents the experiences of families in seeking support and assistance. Feature articles include "Two Generations of…

In order to assist professionals and policymakers more consistently engage parents in their work, this document uses the personal stories of several parents to illustrate how parents get involved in family programs and how some parents built on their natural leadership abilities to move from personal involvement to take on broader leadership…

Parent involvement in New Mexico, and around the nation, is an essential element in the success of students and their schools. This simple point anchors the federal law known as the "No Child Left Behind Act of 2001" ("NCLB"). NCLB establishes state, district and school requirements designed to promote more effective parent…

Reflecting the renewed interest in a variety of plans to increase parent and citizen participation in education, this paper divides the questions surrounding this issue into the following four categories: co-production (partnership), decision making, citizen advocacy, and parent choice. Under each of these categories the paper considers such…