The relationship between transition planning/coordinating interventions and transition outcomes for secondary-aged youth with disabilities was explored in this systematic review. A total of 31 studies intervening with 859 youth with a wide variety of disabilities were reviewed. Using the transition intervention framework of Kohler and Field (2003)…

Information about "family matters" is vital to developing targeted interventions, reducing placement disruption, and enhancing outcome in fetal alcohol spectrum disorders (FASD). The quality of the caregiving environment and family function are associated with long-term outcome in natural history study of individuals with FASD. This article…

This research brief summarizes the latest evidence base on effective involvement for elementary school children--that is, the studies that link family involvement in elementary schools to children's academic achievement and social development. It synthesizes the outcome-based empirical research published between 1999 and 2006 that were cataloged…

The article links student and family characteristics, along with homework characteristics and homework purposes, to homework management as reported by 194 middle-school students in Grades 5-6. The results revealed that homework management was not related to grade level, amount of parental education, time spent on homework, or extrinsic reasons for…

In this article the author narrates how family involvement and residential special school caused significant positive behaviour in Anna, a girl with Down Syndrome. The author is a constant visitor at Salisbury School, a residential special school for girls where Anna has been enrolled. The author witnessed the changes in Anna's behaviour due to a…

Beginning teachers of young children often express concern that their professional preparation has not adequately prepared them to work effectively with families. This remains the case in spite of literature documenting the importance of involving parents in their children's early education. This article describes a service learning project…

Community schools are organized around two common goals: helping students learn and succeed and strengthening families and communities. Full-service community schools extend these guiding principles. They are centers of their communities, providing high-quality after-school opportunities, comprehensive early childhood education, real-world…

This qualitative study examines the perspectives of special education/resource teachers in Winnipeg on current transition services to prepare high school students with disabilities for adulthood. The data were collected by individual in-depth interviews with 6 teachers responsible for coordinating transition services. The main themes emerging from…

The authors introduce the RALLY (Responsive Advocacy for Life and Learning in Youth) approach. RALLY is a school- and afterschool-based approach addressing academic success, youth development, and mental health for youth. Based on developmental and relational principles, RALLY's main goals are to promote students' resiliency, development, and…

Recruitment of participants is a long-standing practice for many programs serving children and families, although the way in which it is approached varies greatly. This volume is presented as a practical tool for practitioners to use in systematizing their recruitment efforts. Section 1, "Reaching Diverse Families," contains an…

Predicated on the idea that one of the best ways to support individuals' book sharing with a special child in their lives is to establish a family book sharing group with people in the community, this book offers specific suggestions for organizing such a group and provides plans for at least six gatherings. According to the book, this book…

During the past few years, there has been a notable increase in the number of children in foster care, with foster care that is provided by relatives accounting for a substantial part of the increase. At the same time, there has been a shift in thinking in the field of child welfare, from viewing placement with a relative as a last resort to…

Head Start stresses the partnership between the family and the early childhood program, a relationship that is becoming increasing important in a society where more women are entering the labor force and the number of children receiving non-familial child care continues to rise. This study sought to answer two questions: (1) Are there parents who…

This theme issue provides four articles that address family involvement in the transition of youth with disabilities from school to work. The first article, "Family Involvement" by Marge Goldberg and Shauna McDonald, offers evidence of the importance of family involvement at this stage of the individual's life, reports on families' experiences,…

This "Indicator of the Month" presents data on early literacy experiences in the homes of American children. In addition to data tables, key findings are summarized in the text. Key findings are: (1) in 1996, more than 80 percent of children ages 3-5 were read to three or more times or told a story in the past week by a parent or family member,…