This study assessed the nature of instruction in 314 kindergarten and first-grade classrooms from 155 schools in 48 school districts in three states. The schools served a relatively high proportion of low-income children and children of color. Despite the restricted range in student populations served, qualities of the schools and observed…

Both teachers and parents have similar agendas when it comes to children: the fulfillment of academic potential and the creation of lifelong learners who are well-adjusted, productive members of society. However, basic communication between parents and teachers is often difficult. When children are exceptional, problems with communication are only…

Building on social ecological research, this study considers whether neighborhood socioeconomic advantage modifies the relationship between parenting practices and sex initiation among young adolescents. Using data on a national sample of 2,559 middle school students, the authors examined two-way interactions between neighborhood socioeconomic…

The present paper supplements the traditional class size literature by exploring the causal relationship between class size and parental effort in education production. Class size variation that is exogenous to parental effort comes from interaction between enrollment and a maximum class size rule of 30 students in the lower secondary school in…

Childhood and youth violence in the schools is a major concern in the United States. School-associated violent deaths between 1194 and 1999 have increased, and significantly more students report taking a weapon to school. This paper discusses the causes and correlates of school violence, including the accumulation of social and psychological risk…

This paper is a commentary of the special series on involving fathers in psychological services for children. The following themes are addressed: the effects of fathers on child development; benefits of father involvement in child psychology services; obstacles to father involvement; engaging fathers; specific interventions for fathers; and…

A randomized trial of the multisite evaluation of the Parents as Teachers home visiting program indicated significant attrition from program services and wide variation in participation and involvement of the families. This exploratory study of parental engagement reflects a growing emphasis in the field on research related to implementation…

Research has long shown that parents' positive involvement with their children's schooling is related to many positive outcomes. However, less research has been done on the involvement of parents and families in out-of-school time programs. Nevertheless, the research that does exist suggests that family involvement can be an important component of…

The Latino community has been characterized by low high school graduation rates, low college completion rates and substandard schooling conditions. As schools and policymakers seek to improve the educational conditions of Latinos, parental influence in the form of school involvement is assumed to play some role in shaping students' educational…

In this article, the author explores the performances and practices of motherhood and childhood as they materialize in a private elementary school setting in Ottawa, Canada. The author analyses the ways the ideology of intensive mothering and the intensification of children's lives intersect and inform one another in this setting. She argues that…

Recent literature has focused on how school size influences both costs and outcomes (for example, test scores and educational attainment). It also emphasizes how school size may change the nature of educationally relevant social interactions among students, teachers, and administrators. However, there appears to be little corresponding evidence on…

This article describes the 1st-year evaluation of a community-wide parent and family involvement program initiated in a midsized Southeast community and school district. The program consists of three major components: community-wide efforts, school-home communication, and home involvement. Formative and summative evaluation data were gathered…

Background: Studies support the use of family-centred practices in service delivery to families where a parent has an intellectual disability. This paper examines the importance of such practices to parents. Materials and Methods: Interview responses from 32 parents with intellectual disability were coded by two independent raters as reflecting…

The Medical Home series follows fictional parents Amita and Samir and their premature daughter, Anjali. In Part Two, Amita and Samir bring Anjali home from the hospital, contact the care coordinator who will be responsible for Anjali's care, and go to their first appointment with the pediatrician. Emphasis is placed on the manner in which the…

This paper investigates how the learning environments and family dynamics differ if households have a child with a disability or a parent with a disability. Using data from the National Longitudinal Survey of Youth 1997, results indicate that children with disabilities experience similar learning environments as other children, but have somewhat…