Investigates the attitudes and expectations of parents of sixth-grade students concerning science education in the elementary school. Discusses parents' responses with regard to the role of science education, time allotted for science, comparisons with other subjects, helping children with science homework, important topics, and views of science.…

Teachers can successfully involve parents in their children's education by creating a welcoming school climate, establishing clear policies and procedures for parent involvement, ensuring administrative support, and having a plan. Effective staff development prepares teachers for parental involvement. (JOW)

Suggests that the changing nature of education requires that professional preparation programs provide more extensive parent involvement experiences. Discusses four thematic areas: (1) ways that families can contribute; (2) recognition of the expertise that families provide; (3) exploration of strategies that offer families meaningful involvement;…

Examines the recently introduced phenomenon of parental report cards. Asserts that increased parent involvement in education is universally applauded as beneficial. Educators and schools have encouraged, but never required, greater parent participation for years. Although the time has not yet come for compulsory participation and/or actual report…

Describes a school district's development and use of a guide to inform parents about the district's efforts to align its mathematics curriculum with the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics' (NCTM) Standards. (Author)

Examines two elementary school site decision-making bodies (one mandated, the other voluntary) from a critical-theory perspective, using a multiple case-study format. Finds little relative difference between mandated and voluntary sites. Concludes that involving parents in school-site decision-making is an ineffective school-improvement strategy.…

Examines variations in the relationships among child characteristics, parenting stress, and parental involvement. Analyses revealed significant, yet somewhat different, associations between child temperament and parental stress for mothers and fathers. More significant associations were found between perceptions of child temperament and…

Presents biosocial model of human paternal care allowing paternal allocations to be influenced by changes in welfare of recipient offspring and effects on the man's relationship with the child's mother. Results from test of model with adult males in New Mexico are consistent with a role for relationship effort in parental care: men invest more in…

Presents a simple everyday science activity concerning fingerprints for children and their families to do together. Includes a description and the procedure for the activity. (KHR)

Examines factors predicting participant engagement in a parent-centered, substance abuse preventive intervention. Results indicate that caregiver need for the intervention and family systems variables significantly predicted initial engagement in the intervention, while demographic variables, stressful life circumstances, and family stress failed…

California state initiatives designed to involve parents fell into four categories: government, client services, parents as teachers, and parents as parents. These initiatives, aligned with the state's curriculum reform strategies, required a five-year action plan for enabling school districts to develop local policies and plans that would involve…

"The Executive Educator" inaugurates its "Profiles in Excellence" series by honoring 10 schools and principals who have made outstanding efforts to increase parents' involvement in their children's education. Chosen by a panel of preeminent judges, this year's winners, from eastern and midwestern states, will each receive an…

A generation after President Lyndon Johnson declared an official War on Poverty, nearly one-fifth of America's youngest citizens still grow up poor. The younger the child, the greater the chances of its being poor. Congress, the states, and local communities must rewrite the options of opportunity for these children. A resource list is provided.…

The family dimensions of 24 Individualized Family Service Plans written for infants/toddlers with handicaps and their families were examined to determine the presence of key legislative requirements, the domains of family goals, structural dimensions, level of parent involvement, and time parameters for goal attainment. Issues surrounding family…

Explores proactive and reactive parental behavior among 24 mothers and their first-born children whose ages ranged from 27 to 45 months. Children responded to proactive behavior as compared to reactive behavior by engaging in acceptable behaviors for longer periods and by violating fewer rules. (RJC)