Investigates the relation between 48 mothers' perceptions of control over the termination of their 5-month-old infants' cries and the infant's security attachment at 16 months. Insecure infant attachment was associated with maternal perception of overcontrol. (RJC)

The overview of migrant education for special educators considers the educational needs of migrants, migrant education personnel, migrant student record transfer system, interstate cooperation, and parent involvement. (DB)

Reviews research on playgroups in the United Kingdom. The review finds that the majority of children attend playgroup at some stage; parental involvement is higher in playgroups than in other preschool services; and attendance at preschool appears to have benefits to the child. (RJC)

The telephone survey of 1703 parents found little difference between parents of regular education students and parents of special education students in parental satisfaction with the schools or in parental involvement. (DB)

Even schools with well-developed volunteer training programs overlook vast opportunities for curricular enrichment through use of parent volunteers' varied skills. These are three categories of parents' competencies: skills in hobbies and crafts, direct knowledge and experience concerning occupations, and knowledge about different cultures. (MLH)

Dynamic home-school-community partnerships established through site councils can help produce improved schools that serve their communities better. Parents on the council must be careful to represent diverse segments of the student body. Members need both proper orientation and a constitution to be effective. Includes three references. (MLH)

Claims that Joe Nathan's article in the same "Educational Leadership" issue stresses positive school choice examples while ignoring the problems of replacing neighborhood schools with a system of unzoned, competitive enrollments. Raises concerns of equity, school improvement, parent involvement, teacher empowerment, school assessment, funding, and…

Delineates options for creating a school policy on parental involvement in reading. Identifies five parallel strands based on various stages of school life, including programs for: (1) all children; (2) more involved families; (3) novelty and individualization; (4) children with special needs; and (5) volunteer parents in school. (RS)

Eleven focus groups with teachers and administrators in rural Iowa revealed that educators perceive many parents as uninterested, unable, or unwilling to be involved in schools and having unrealistic expectations of the school's role. They believe the door is open for parental involvement and perceive a relationship between parent participation…

Discusses how to create an effective working partnership between parents and teachers. Discusses parents as part of their children's literacy development, as teaching partners in the classroom, as resource persons in the classroom, and as teachers at home. (SR)

According to advocates, school uniforms reduce gang influence, decrease families' clothing expenditures, and help mitigate potentially divisive cultural and economic differences. Aiming to improve school climate, a California elementary school adopted uniforms as a source of pride and affiliation. This article describes the development of the…

Defines five elements needed in the construction of a sound theater program: curriculum, artistic quality, program participation, community and parental support, and administrative and faculty recognition. Discusses the importance of these elements. Concludes that, although implementing this program takes time, the effort is worth it. (PA)

Little advanced research exists on the causes, diagnosis, and treatment of hyperactivity disorders in children. This article debates the pros and cons of ritalin and other medical treatments and defines the principal's role in studying recent research on attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, examining current identification policies,…

For a middle school, family involvement in school life begins with the orientation program for incoming students. An effective transition program can help parents and prospective students anticipate a new school's academic and social expectations. This article describes a Vermont middle school's transition program, highlighting planning and…

Discusses a method by which young children learn about life and death by studying plants. Plants are used because their life cycle has minimal emotional significance to the children. Parent involvement, teacher attitudes, and experiences with the method are discussed. (DG)