This digest summarizes the rights and responsibilities of parents of children in the special education process under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) Amendments of 1997. Among 15 rights listed are a free appropriate public education for every child, informed consent concerning evaluation and programmatic decisions, evaluation…

Using surveys and data from the Dallas Public School District (Texas), this study examined the perceptions of parents, students, and teachers about parents' involvement in their children's education and development. In addition, academic achievement at the two study schools was examined. At one school (School A), 63 of 100 parents surveyed…

This paper discusses the results from a survey of 585 Illinois parents of children with disabilities that examined their satisfaction with school district practices. Five independent variables were statistically significant predictors of overall satisfaction with school district practices: (1) school responsiveness to concerns; (2) help in…

This document is intended to provide necessary information to Delaware parents, legal guardians, and surrogate parents of children with disabilities concerning procedural safeguards under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) Part B. Presented in a question-and-answer format, this guide is in several sections. The first section…

Noting that the role of fathers in caring for children has received increased research attention over the last 20 years, this literature review concerns the role of fathers in the physical and psychological maintenance of children. The review is organized around three themes in the father care literature: (1) descriptions of care activities and…

This paper describes the Academic Summer Camp (ASC) initiated at The Accelerated School (TAS), the country's first charter accelerated school. The ASC delivers educational services to K-7 children and their parents in south central Los Angeles. Students are 40 percent African American and 60 percent Latino, and most qualify for the federal free…

Early Head Start (EHS) is a comprehensive, two-generation program that includes intensive services that begin before the child is born and concentrate on enhancing the child's development and supporting the family during the critical first 3 years of a child's life. This paper discusses approaches to measuring father involvement in their…

This report presents findings from Phase 1 of an evaluation of the New York City Beacons initiative, a model of school-community-family partnerships initiated in 1991. Beacons are community centers located in public schools, offering a range of activities and services to participants of all ages, before and after school, in the evenings, and on…

This action research project sought to increase parental involvement to improve academic achievement in the subjects of reading and math for fourth- through sixth-grade students in two Midwestern metropolitan schools. An increased number of non-English speaking parents and working parents, a lack of parent training, and teacher resistance to…

This brief discusses the benefits of small schools and whether schools can be too small. For years, it was thought that larger schools could offer more comprehensive instructional programs of greater quality at lower costs than smaller schools. However, recent research indicates that larger may not be better, and that smaller schools may in fact…

To generate information that would help rural schools take advantage of the Comprehensive School Reform Demonstration (CSRD) program, 47 principals of rural schools in Kentucky, Tennessee, Virginia, and West Virginia were interviewed via telephone. The schools fell into two categories: schools that applied but were not funded through the CSRD…

The National Household Education Survey (NHES) is a telephone interview survey that has been conducted in the spring of 1991, 1993, 1995, 1996, and 1999. The 1999 NHES was a compilation of survey items from previous years that included three interviews, resulting in three data files. The first is the Parent Interview, in which data were collected…

This booklet for parents, in both English and Spanish, offers suggestions for helping their young children develop and improve their reading skills. The booklet first presents tips for helping infants or preschoolers be ready to read and ready to learn. Suggestions include talking to the infant or toddler, reading aloud starting at 6 months,…

Federal law now allows billions of education dollars, for a variety of programs, to go to states under a single, consolidated state plan. The goal is to develop integrated, coordinated plans for meeting the requirements of the various programs in a way that best serves children's educational needs. Achievement of that goal depends a great deal on…

This study investigated Ontario school council inclusiveness pertaining to Aboriginal peoples. A case study was conducted with a cross section of Native and non-Native Canadians who were directly or indirectly involved in school council-related activities. Researchers audiotaped interviews and focus group discussions with participants and analyzed…