Libraries are faced with changing demographics, emerging technologies, and economic shifts. Families once attended library programs as a unit, children began kindergarten at age five, and libraries offered few programs for children under four. Intact and extended families are a thing of the past. Many children today are raised in single parent…

Surveys of tribal program directors and staff examined the extent to which American Indian vocational rehabilitation (VR) (Section-130) projects used the family and other natural support systems to provide comprehensive rehabilitation services to transition age adolescents and adults with disabilities. Responses were received from directors of 18…

A study assessed the usability, retest reliability, and construct validity of an instrument measuring young adults': (1) perceived attention from parents; (2) perceived "normalcy" of family interactions; and (3) perceived consistency of family interactions. The retest reliability study yielded no significant differences between 73…

A study of 44 infants and toddlers with disabilities enrolled in 3 diverse early intervention programs in 3 states examined the cost of early intervention services and the core ingredients of hourly service cost. During the 12-month study, all service events were recorded for 1 week per month. Overall, findings revealed an extremely wide range in…

This manual describes the "New Hampshire Leadership Series," a leadership training program designed to assist individuals with disabilities and their families to create a vision for themselves and to achieve positive futures. The manual is divided into six major sections. The first section, "Introducing the New Hampshire Leadership…

The first of the National Education Goals calls for every child to be ready to learn when entering kindergarten. Noting that children are more likely to succeed when schools and families are prepared for each other, this book describes the grassroots efforts of The W.K. Kellogg Foundation School Readiness Initiatives to link families, schools, and…

Recent studies suggest that the involvement of parents and teachers with young children provides natural opportunities for modeling and nurturing positive cultural attitudes. Strategies that support children's multicultural learning within a context of family involvement are of three types. The first of these is parent education and support.…

This information packet for those interested in promoting parent and family involvement in their children's schools opens with "A Quick Overview of Some Basic Resources." This section contains lists of 28 selected references, some research syntheses available from the Educational Resources Information Center (ERIC), and 10 Internet resources…

The primary purpose of this handbook is to provide the parent coordinator of the parent-powered family resource center with a specific guide for the development of a center. The handbook considers that a family resource center should exist to encourage family-school partnerships and to help strengthen parent-child interaction--it provides a…

This booklet offers teachers a variety of ideas and resources to strengthen partnerships with parents. Challenges and reasons for involving families are discussed. Several methods of communication are presented such as written, face-to-face, and technological communications; various ways of doing activities and homework with their children are…

During five meetings conducted in different states by the Southwest Educational Development Laboratory (SEDL) to gain insight into the status of 55 parent involvement programs from their organizers and implementors, parental involvement in the secondary education level repeatedly emerged as a shared concern. Following the meetings SEDL…

This study examines the value of volunteering in preschools by members of the preschooler's family. Prior research has confirmed the benefits of parental involvement in children's education, particularly before the child is 6 years of age. Close contact between parent and teacher gives each a more complete picture of the child's abilities and…

This booklet shares strategies that schools can undertake to provide parents with opportunities, information, and skills they may need to support their children's education. The booklet recognizes the importance of addressing the needs of the whole family in order to break the intergenerational cycle of school failure. Parts 1 and 2 outline an…

This resource guide covers the psychosocial and health concerns of adolescents with chronic illnesses. In a section titled "Bibliographic Information," the guide describes 12 books on general medical and social aspects, three resources on demographics, four resources on school issues, and 14 resources on psychosocial and family issues. A section…

The paper presents core competencies which are appropriate across service delivery models and across disciplines for training personnel in early intervention. Part I provides a historic perspective on practices, child development research, the federal role, children served, family involvement, and the need for early intervention. Part II contains…