This report discusses the outcomes of the Partnerships for Rural Resource Teams Project, a project designed to build upon the foundation of services for children and youth with deaf-blindness in Montana. Grounded in a framework that draws upon the principles of collaborative teamwork, contextually-based technical assistance, family involvement,…

This curriculum guide offers principles, guidelines, and suggested activities for teaching art to young children with a wide variety of disabilities. An introductory chapter notes the benefits of the arts, adaptations for various disabilities, the curriculum's rationale, and integration of the arts across learning domains. Chapter 2 examines how…

This monograph reports on a qualitative evaluation of the Together We're Better (TWB) program, an effort in Minnesota to develop an inclusive, positive, supportive educational system. The TWB project focused on: (1) general education/special education collaboration within the state department of education; (2) district partnerships; (3) personnel…

The Families Matter series of papers from the Harvard Family Research Project advances the concept of family-centered child care, advocating an approach to early childhood education that addresses the development of the child and family together. Grounded in family support principles, which build on family strengths and work from a community's…

This sourcebook assembles the results of research on educating homeless students and offers classroom strategies for people working with homeless students, providing training tools to strengthen programs and practices in schools and shelters. Chapter 1, "Increasing Awareness about Students Experiencing Homelessness," defines homelessness,…

This document consists of 10 issues (covering January through December 2000) of the newsletter, "Community Update," which features articles on community and family involvement in education. In addition to the articles, each issue (except the Special Issue) includes a preview of the month's Satellite Town Meeting; events and information…

Studied perceptions and attitudes of fathers and mothers about their own and their spouse's parental roles, and identified relationships between those perceptions and variations in fathers' actual involvement in child rearing. Found mothers' perceptions of their partners' investments in parent, spouse, and worker roles were best predictors of…

Culturally responsive teaching requires physical educators to examine their programs and teaching practices in four areas: developing positive attitudes, developing positive learning climates, providing curriculum that respects cultural values, and involving families. Physical educators also need ongoing dialog and professional development about…

Criticizes recent educational and sociological literature for its optimistic assessment of family-school programs. Maintains that these studies fail to address observable differences in parents' educational skills, occupational and economic flexibility, social networks, and positions of power. Illustrates these problems with examples from an…

Describes a longitudinal study of permanency planning for children in kinship foster care in Erie County, New York, focusing on care duration, discharge destinations, and discharge goals. Notes that many children were adopted by or living with kin with the goal of adoption. Describes the "Kinship Options" program which strives for…

Strengthening family involvement in early childhood programs became a fundamental component of the Wisconsin Early Childhood Excellence Initiative. The initiative's strategies for encouraging family involvement include: creating a welcoming atmosphere; actively involving parents, children, and other family members in the education process;…

Describes the founding and role of the nonprofit organization Udbhas, which promotes literacy among children in the slums of Calcutta while providing a level of food, clothing, and social and educational experiences generally absent from their homes. Discusses the children's background and identifies problems in bringing learning to these…

Examines the informal support systems of older, recently widowed, urban females. Finds that widows with no sons receive little traditionally male types of support, but that widows with no daughters receive as much traditionally female types of support as those with daughters. (FMW)

Discusses the importance of family and community involvement to student achievement. Schools can establish an effective partnership among schools, families, and the community by providing support for families, creating family-community learning centers, supporting the community, providing opportunities for shared responsibility, facilitating the…

Proposes the home-school connection as a key solution to boost science, mathematics, and technology programs in schools. Suggests that professionals in education must find ways to make connections between school learning and children's learning outside school. Proposes appropriate strategies such as science and mathematics backpacks, minimuseums,…