Examines the impact of school type (public or private) on parent involvement and the academic achievement of kindergarten students. After controlling for student socioeconomic status, finds, for example, little or no difference in the academic achievement of kindergarteners in public and private schools or in the level of parent involvement.…

Although Education Action Zones were created to empower parents in British schools, data from three zones indicate that the interests of education professionals and already involved parents predominate over those of socially excluded parents. The deficit model of parents as "problems" contributes to continued limitations on their…

Study describes the perspectives and practices of school psychologists toward family-school partnership activities. Respondents overwhelmingly supported the general concept of parent involvement in education and perceived their own involvement in family-school partnership activities as important. Implications of this study for practice and…

Criticizes past parenting studies which have concluded that American fathers were deficient. Demonstrates through cross cultural comparison that amount of physical association between American fathers and their children is typical, when compared with fathers from other cultures. (Author/CM)

The staff at Emerson School in Rosemead, California, believe the keys to parent involvement are appropriate recognition and constant communication concerning students' positive achievements, through phone calls and letters of praise in several different languages. (MLH)

Presents ideas to increase parent involvement in students' mathematics work by sending worksheets home for families to work on together. Includes sample worksheet. (MKR)

National Principal of the Year Program, sponsored by NASSP and MetLife, recognizes outstanding school administrators willing to take risks to improve student learning, cooperate with teachers, nurture positive school climate, involve school community in creative change. Ann Blakeney Clark, 1994 National Principal of the Year, is profiled and…

Questionnaires completed by school district officers and inspectors in Great Britain and interviews with parents and staff in 11 sites found that the potential of parental involvement is underexploited. More clarity in school policy regarding parent participation and staff training in working with parents were recommended. (SK)

Dissatisfied with their school's attendance rate, an Iowa high school formed a committee to explore the problem and draft a strong, well-defined policy to communicate expectations. The committee also worked with the school community and parents to change students' attitudes toward school attendance. (MLH)

Past attempts at family involvement in treatment for juvenile offenders have failed because of deficit thinking, the label "family therapy," inimical facilities, and lack of aftercare. Successful involvement means viewing parents as partners, making facilities less forbidding, focusing on the family's interest in solutions, and helping with…

Examined observed father-infant interaction and reports of parental responsibility during infancy in 54 dual-earner and 65 single-earner families. Results indicated that personality characteristics of the father were important in predicting father's responsibility for child care in single-earner families, not in dual-earner families. Contextual…

Presents some sources and resources that allow educators to obtain relevant data, printed materials, purposeful advice, and ideas that ensure effective home-school relationships. Lists addresses of organizations readers may wish to contact to obtain information. (MG)

Family literacy models are as diverse as their participants. The best way to involve a student in literacy is to involve the parents in their own literacy. As a child's first teachers, parents are uniquely qualified to pass on a rich literary legacy through a shared literacy experience. The Parents and Literacy (PAL) program in Tucson, Arizona, is…

Provides information on Hanau Model Schools Partnership whose goal is for technology to become a firmly accepted part of daily school life. Draws from research sources and excerpts directly from a teacher's electronic logs to present a view of the complex support the educational technologist provides to the full school community. (ASK)

Examines gender differences in how nonresident parents spend time with their absent children. Results suggest that nonresident mothers and fathers exhibit a similar pattern of participation in activities with their absent children. Most nonresident parents either engage in only leisure activities with their children or have no contact. (Author/MKA)