The U.S. Department of Education's Partnership for Family Involvement in Education encourages individuals, partner organizations, and alliances, whether they are members of the Partnership or not, to develop and implement effective family involvement practices in education. The goals of the Partnership are to increase opportunities for families to…

This paper explores both the benefits and the difficulties of using the Project Approach in part-time early childhood education programs. Teachers of 3 different types of part-time programs share their experiences 1 year after taking a one-credit course in the Project Approach. The teachers' responses are organized by topic as follows: (1)…

The Parent Information Network (PIN) is an initiative of the Arizona Department of Education to involve families of special education students. Led by parents of children with special needs, PIN provides information and technical assistance to families and educators throughout the state. The primary role is to facilitate the volunteer steering…

Since 1972, Head Start Policy Councils, Policy Committees, and Parent Committees have provided leadership supporting the involvement of parents in local Head Start programs. This video-based training package is designed to increase the knowledge and skills of Policy Council members and to positively influence participants' attitudes toward being a…

Noting that the most accurate predictor of a student's achievement in school is the extent of the family's involvement and participation in school-related matters, this book presents ideas for helping young children learn and do better in school. The book includes brief articles from educational and parenting experts as well as checklists, pages…

This practicum was designed to increase responsibility for completing and handing in homework among students in grades three, four, and five in a mid-Atlantic school district. Of a total of 128 students in these grades, 28 were identified to learn strategies to aid in completing homework. Nine solution strategies were employed: (1) provide…

This paper discusses the new Individuals with Disabilities Education Act 1997 amendments that require states to develop alternate assessments and reviews state practices in Delaware, Idaho, Indiana, Kentucky, Maryland, Michigan, Missouri, North Carolina, and Tennessee. These states were selected because they had either been implementing, were…

Developed in Australia, this Survival Kit for Parents is a program to enable parents to help their children with kindergarten and primary school education. The kit provides hands-on knowledge and skills for parents in regard to their child's education, as well as allowing parents to work towards credit in general education for adults. The Survival…

Noting that day care is a tangible facet of American family life, this paper examines the essential components of quality child care, presents strategies for improving child care quality, and discusses social policies and issues related to quality child care. The paper first examines six criteria, proposed by the National Association for the…

The School Health Education Profiles monitor characteristics of health education in secondary schools nationwide, using school-based surveys conducted by state and local education agencies. This report summarizes results from 35 state surveys and 13 local surveys conducted among representative samples of school principals and lead health education…

Based on an Oregon pilot project to explore alternatives to court termination of parental rights, the four Parent Empowerment workbooks and the Practice Manual which make up this set are intended to help caseworkers or mediators assist parents in self-examination and decision making, allowing the parents to consider both parenting and adoption…

Noting that socioeconomic, ethnic, and cultural variations among fathers and differences in family structure may affect fathers' roles and their level of involvement with their children, this brief summarizes key research findings on the ways in which various factors influence fathers' involvement in children's lives. Regarding socioeconomic…

Drawing on a parent's perspective, this booklet presents tools, strategies, and information a parent will need to ensure their child will get the best education possible. The book's chapters are as follows: (1) "Organizing Your Home for Success," including teaching the child to be organized and what to do to promote learning at home; (2)…

This report details findings from visits to 15 small schools associated with Human Scale Education. These schools are all different, reflecting the priorities of their founders. But there are features common to all of them--parental involvement, democratic processes, environmentally sustainable values, spiritual values, links with the local…

Using the mythical creature of the Himalayas, the Yeti, as a symbol for the prejudices and assumptions that people prematurely make about each other, this book discusses bringing up children to accept and cherish diversity and helping them to thrive in an increasingly diverse world. Directed to educators and caregivers of toddlers and…