Describes a cross-national action research project involving 8 schools in the United States and 11 schools in 5 other countries studying family-community-school partnerships and the policies or political contexts that shape, and are shaped by, them. Early results suggest the usefulness of action research in emerging dialog. (SLD)

This article provides some basic foundation of family systems concepts for school professionals who work with students with disabilities. It addresses communication skills and psychological issues that can result in barriers to implementation of family systems concepts and describes a five-step process leading to conflict resolution. (Contains…

Family life education arose around the turn of the 20th century in response to the perceived negative impact of changing social conditions on families. Reviews recent advances in family life education scholarship, practice, and education preparation and identifies challenges for the future. Contains 102 references. (JBJ)

Discusses the impact of care to the frail elderly on individual caregivers and their families in the context of events preceding caregiving. Investigates the extent to which family members anticipate and plan for future caregiving. Although several family members are usually involved in planning caregiving, most studies in this area include only…

Describes a statewide project in Connecticut that attempted to meet the training and support needs of childcare providers as they included greater numbers of children with disabilities into their programs. The Training for Inclusion Project emphasized family-centered practices, transdisciplinary team process delivery, and developmentally…

A study investigated why some of the low-income single caregivers of 104 children (ages 7-40 months) with disabilities were more involved in early intervention services than others. Difficulties in family functioning and lower levels of knowledge about child development were directly related to caregiver involvement. (Contains references.)…

Introduces an issue that examines state-, district-, and school-level policies and practices for eight school health program components, summarizing findings from the School Health Policies and Programs Study 2000 by component (health education, physical education and activity, health services, mental health/social services, food service, school…

Objective: This article selectively reviews evidence-based family and peer interventions for co-occurring mental illness and substance use disorders. Although few researchers have specifically investigated family interventions for dual disorders, considerable empirical evidence exists for the effectiveness of such interventions in treating each of…

Chronic non-attendance has generally focused on the distinction between truancy and school refusal: the former has traditionally been linked to conduct disorder, the latter to separation anxiety disorder. However, research has demonstrated that truancy and school refusal exist in the absence of such disorders and, more significantly, that some…

In this article, family-school partnerships are discussed as a viable and essential way to increase the opportunities and supports for all students to enhance their learning progress and meet the recent demands of schooling inherent in accountability systems and most notably of Title I No Child Left Behind legislation. School psychologists are…

The "Guidelines for Effective Practice" series was begun in 1991 to meet the need for better definition and articulation of what constitutes best practice in family support programs. This guide, the first issue of the series, focuses on the importance and necessity of linkages between family support and early childhood programs. Chapter…

This manual, developed by the Families in Action Project, is intended to provide parents and other family members of children with emotional disorders some practical ideas and tools with which they can become effective partners with professionals in the policy-making process. The first section, "Understanding the Board Process," describes…

This digest examines barriers to parent participation in the education of Mexican American students, and successful programs and strategies for overcoming those barriers. Research has found family participation in education to be twice as predictive of academic achievement as family socioeconomic status. Mexican American parents care about their…

These guidelines are intended to assist states and local communities in developing quality respite services that meet the diverse needs of families and children with disabilities, with chronic and terminal illnesses, or at risk of abuse or neglect. The guidelines support the philosophy that all families can benefit from temporary intervals of rest…

This guide was developed to assist families and professionals working with people having severe disabilities to improve the overall quality of life these individuals experience. An introduction contrasts new attitudes (such as emphasizing individual strengths and personal control and autonomy) with existing practices which often focus on students'…