Explores the learning opportunities cooking activities can provide in a kindergarten classroom. Language arts, math, science, fine-motor skills, art, health, music, and social studies are some of the curriculum areas that can benefit from these kind of activities. Cooking also is explored as an opportunity for parent involvement, where parent and…

Discusses the restructuring of the Mankato, Minnesota school media program, accomplished by merging library and technology programs. Addresses time frame; necessary equipment and resources; computer networking; scheduled in-service training; and involvement of parents, teachers, and the school board. A sidebar lists five elements vital to a…

Details specific ways to describe progress in the school improvement process (SIP) to first-level stakeholders (students and educators) and second-level stakeholders (parents, administrators, school board members, and community members). The paper illustrates such reporting by describing use of assessment information in relation to the Middle…

Discusses school reform efforts in England that were designed to make England's publicly funded schools as attractive as independent schools via government funding. Efforts include enhancing parental choice of schools by removing bureaucratic and administrative restrictions, establishing a national school inspection system to maintain quality, and…

Addresses one way in which spending less on public schools might actually improve school performance. The article focuses on bringing together those who have the greatest stake in school performance (the parents and the community) as planners and caretakers of their children's education. Such collaboration is viewed as strengthening understanding…

Explores the role of experience in educational change in a roundtable discussion with S. Nicolau, D. Davies, and D. Moore. A common thread is the vision of the school as a center of community life and a community of learners that includes students, parents, and teachers. (SLD)

Explores the idea of school-community councils as a way of establishing a social compact between schools and the community. Specific suggestions are given for establishing councils and keeping them functioning smoothly. Literature and community resources that can help are suggested and listed. (SLD)

Presents the views of a concerned citizen on reshaping U.S. schools in a peaceful, grass-roots revolution. Emphasis is on the neighborhood school, with parent participation, and a system that keeps students with the same teacher for multiple years. The human and technological resources that the approach requires are discussed. (SLD)

Suggestions are offered for teachers to help children whose school behavior and performance are being adversely affected by stressful family events. The strategy involves defining the problem, working with the child to develop coping strategies, making appropriate classroom responses, and working with parents. (JDD)

The development of a multicultural center at Prospect Middle School in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, was a response to the increase of racism and bigotry. Academic performance for both African-American and white students has improved significantly, and overall suspension rates have dropped by nearly 50 percent. (MLF)

Potential barriers related to the participation of Latino families in programs addressing the needs of individuals with severe handicaps are discussed. A successful education and training activity for Latino families with children with developmental disabilities, which provides a family focus in the family's own language and integrates relevant…

School division compliance with Virginia state and federal regulations concerning the parent's role in the special education process was examined. Analysis of parent surveys and state department of education compliance reports found a high incidence of parent nonparticipation, inadequate communication to parents of their rights, and difficulties…

Examined preschoolers' experiences with their mothers and during group reading in preschool. Concludes that the patterns of adults' and preschoolers' talk about books support a model of a home-school relationship in which mothers provide an introduction to book reading that teachers expand by engaging children in cognitively challenging…

Found little correspondence among parents', teachers', and children's ratings of parent involvement in children's education. Teachers' ratings exhibited a higher correlation with children's reading and mathematics achievement in grades two and three than did children's and parents' ratings. (HTH)

Family interaction and home socialization concerning education issues were described for six Mexican-American families in California with six children in grade two. The strengths of the families have important relevance for education, regardless of the different ways the parents exercised their roles, particularly with regard to homework. (SLD)