The concept of trust has become commonplace in discussions of school culture, with increasing numbers of researchers arguing that trust is an essential component of positive school communities. In this article, we explore the role of trust and distrust in the involvement of Latino parents in the educational process. After providing a theoretical…

This article addresses the value of teachers establishing rituals and traditions in early childhood classrooms. Using the lens of a particular preschool classroom, where one of the co-authors taught for many years, the article describes specific traditions that have been established over the years and how these rituals, activities, and events…

In the past decade, the use of computer-mediated communication such as e-mail has reportedly increased the level of parental involvement and parent-teacher communication at the elementary and secondary level. However, research has not yet examined the characteristics of parent-teacher e-mail communication. Thirty parent and 30 teacher interviews…

The purpose of this research was to determine the influence of the custodial parents' level of educational attainment on the quantity of parental involvement in the areas of assistance with homework, time spent in home activities with the child, communication with teachers, participation in school events, educational discussions with the child,…

Background: Health educators have discussed the importance of the eight component Coordinated School Health Program (CSHP) approach to facilitate the success of school health education. Conducting a School Health Index (SHI) assessment of the CSHP is an important early step for improving the health, environment and academic success of youth.…

Parents' involvement in their children's education is associated with a variety of benefits, including higher achievement, yet teachers are not uniformly supportive and encouraging. Teacher attitudes and beliefs about parental involvement are a predictive factor which schools, and preservice programs, could influence, yet little is known about how…

Parent involvement in schools--what do you believe about it? Disparate groups, like front office staff at a school, preservice teachers, teachers, school administrators, and parents respond quite differently to focus questions, which might include: What do you see as important aspects of parent involvement? What parents do you think would probably…

The research is clear that a family's involvement in their child's early education improves outcomes in areas such as the child's language, self-help, social, and motor skills. The more frequent the contact between home and school, the more the child benefits. While traditional forms of home-school partnerships (for example, parents participating…

The role that the involvement of parents may play in the treatment outcome of their children with anxiety disorders is still under debate. Some studies dealing with other disorders have examined the role that the expressed emotion (EE) construct (parental overinvolvement, criticism and hostility) may play in treatment outcome and relapse. Given…

Today in the U.S., more than 4 million elementary and secondary students require language assistance, and growth of the English-language learner (ELL) population is expected to continue. Thus, school staffs must be prepared to meet challenges that will arise because of the changing population and an increase of ELLs. School districts that are…

The authors discuss the challenges that might be faced if gifted education moves toward an RtI (Response to Intervention) approach. The challenges they share can be used as discussion points for planning and reflection. In spite of the remaining challenges, the authors conclude that RtI is certainly changing the face of education and that gifted…

When Gabrielle Carpenter became a guidance counselor in Northern Virginia nine years ago, she focused on the academic achievement gap and furiously tried to close it. At first, she was compelled by tremendous professional interest. However, after seeing her son lose his zeal for school, Carpenter joined forces with other parents to form an…

In this article, the author shares some of the ideas from 10 programs that make change happen in their community. Among others, the Sunshine House in Greenwood, South Carolina has implemented a program in selected markets that they called "Families First." This program is geared for families who have experienced a lay-off or reduction in work…

The research reported in this article invites educators to rethink their assumptions about students and families. Using data from a qualitative, longitudinal teacher-research study, the author presents seven lessons that she has learned from the families of her students and challenges other teachers to seek ways to learn about the families they…

While schools play a major role in promoting parental involvement in schooling in many countries, few comparative studies examined the level of school expectation for parental involvement and its effect on student achievement. Using the TIMSS 1999 dataset, this study examined the level of school expectation for various types of parental…