This guide reports on a project that demonstrated family-based English-as-a-Second-Language (ESL) tutoring delivered by volunteer literacy tutors, many of whom were parents with young children. Group members worked together to define the project in terms of the individuals involved in it. Tutors were trained in the context of the project with…

Family process and peer relationships for boys who showed depressive symptoms with or without co-occurring conduct problems in early adolescence were analyzed in this study. Also examined were outcomes in late adolescence and young adulthood including the relationship with parents and peers and graduation from high school for these boys. The…

Practical and well-defined solutions are presented to build effective and long-lasting partnerships among parents, educators, and community members for the improvement of schools. A step-by-step model is presented, with an outline to guide anyone attempting to involve parents in their children's schools. Chapter 1, "My Journey to Parent…

The 1994 NAEP (National Assessment of Educational Progress) reading assessment was administered to approximately 27,400 public and non-public school students at grades 4, 8, and 12. Across the 3 grades assessed, there were a total of 96 multiple-choice, 144 short constructed-response, and 33 extended constructed-response questions. Information for…

This program was developed and implemented to deal with the high percentage of Title I parents who lacked involvement with children's educational process. Problems were addressed by the implementation of a quality parental involvement program. Twenty-five elementary school Title I parents with no previous contact with the target site served as…

This special newsletter issue was based on a July 1994 forum for educators and trainers of infant/family practitioners. Papers in the first section present emerging conceptual frameworks and the process of helping trainees to use these frameworks. Included are the following papers: "Head Start: The Emotional Foundations of School Readiness as…

This guide describes a variety of resources that serve young children and their families affected by substance use. It was created to assist state and local program personnel and others to access resources that can assist them in developing comprehensive services for young children and their families who have been affected by alcohol and other…

This practicum report describes development of a system of family support services for 56 parents of preschool handicapped children (ages birth to 3) in an early intervention setting. A preliminary survey was administered to determine family needs. A family support group was then developed which met monthly for fellowship, networking, work…

A comprehensive reform of the science curriculum and the methods of teaching and assessing science instruction is underway. This booklet shares ideas drawn from research and promising practices in science education. These ideas are addressed specifically to educators, but are important to anybody concerned with science education in elementary,…

The Family Kindergarten program designed and pilot tested by a bilingual kindergarten teacher at Garretson Elementary School in Corona, California, is described. Based on the premise that parents are the most important and influential educators of children, Family Kindergarten was conceived as an evening class that includes parents and children…

The principles and practices of successful parent centers in urban schools are presented so that parents and staff can use them when developing a center. The successful center begins with adoption of a model or philosophy to guide parents and staff. An interactive learning model is suggested as the most workable one, and its principles are…

This practicum addresses the problem of limited interaction between physical therapists and families of developmentally delayed/physically impaired preschool-age children. A program was developed in which the physical therapist was videotaped handling and exercising a child, while explaining the purpose of the movements and instructing the parent…

Project Earlybird assists at-risk students to anticipate the upcoming classwork and be ready for the lessons when the teacher presents them. The project is a before/after school program in which elementary students in grades 2 through 5 are given extra help with reading, mainly using computers. Elements of the program include: (1) raising…

This interdisciplinary curriuclum is intended as a framework for teaching a families course. It is designed to be used with graduate students studying early intervention work with families of young children with disabilities. The curriculum attempts to provide students with information related to family theory, research, policy, and law with…

The Action for Children Commission was created in 1991 to study the lives of young Minnesotans, develop a vision of what their lives should be like, and make recommendations concerning the state's role in realizing that vision. After examining the conditions experienced by Minnesota youth, the report recommends that the state help to: (1) mobilize…