During the past several years, the topic of how to increase parent and family involvement in schools has been the subject of many research studies, articles, and speeches. It is likely that every school in the country devotes some portion of its annual plan to explaining how it will increase parent involvement. Yet as widely used as this term is,…

Parent involvement continues to challenge practitioners engaged in school reform despite being a required component of many school improvement initiatives--from Title I Schoolwide Programs to federally mandated school improvement plans. The benefits of parent involvement are clear: A growing body of research shows that successful parent…

In 1997, Congress reauthorized the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), which grew out of the Education for All Handicapped Children Act of 1975. Congress stated that there was a need to "enhance the capability of state and local agencies and service providers to identify, evaluate, and meet the needs of historically…

In spring 2003, more than 130 aspiring, novice, and experienced K-12 principals from public, private, and parochial schools were asked to identify in rank order the top 10 most critical issues facing schools. The issue most frequently identified as most critical was accountability, with staffing next, followed by discipline, time, funding,…

This research brief presents preliminary evidence that family involvement in young children's education may contribute to a smooth transition to elementary school not only for children, but also for parents, by helping to prepare them for later involvement in their children's learning. The brief draws from the literature on transition, recent…

The message of this series of books, "Parents and Children Together," is that parents should get together with their children, talk about stories, and learn together. This book, "Learning Together," contains several stories that parents and children can read together and talk about in a relaxed way. The book has a companion…

Noting that parental involvement is an important factor in student success, this study examined differences in student learning in reading and mathematics related to levels of parental volunteerism in kindergarten, after controlling for differences in testing scores at the beginning of the school year. The study drew on data from the National…

This factsheet presents numerous ways that parents can interact with their deaf-blind children. The challenges facing children with deaf-blindness are explained and compared to children without disabilities. Ways to recognize and then respond to children's actions are suggested, and tips for developing good communication are presented, including…

This study assesses parental satisfaction, parent knowledge, and parent involvement with the Arkansas Better Chance (ABC) Programs, public school programs for 3- and 4-year-old children. The sample consisted of parents of children enrolled in four ABC programs. Parent surveys were conducted and responses were obtained from 144 parents. Parent…

This guide is designed to assist public-private child care partnerships in engaging parents in improving child care. The guide offers information on: (1) why parents should be involved in child care partnerships; (2) roles that parents can play in partnerships; (3) how to successfully engage parents in partnerships; (4) tools for engaging parents;…

This issue of the "Early Childhood Bulletin" consists of excerpts from a speech given by Dr. Robert Davila, Assistant Secretary for the U.S. Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services, during an Interagency Coordinating Council (ICC) Parents Meeting, September 1991, in Arlington, Virginia. In his speech, Dr. Davila calls for…

This paper explores what divorced, noncustodial fathers may be considered responsible for in society and the possible consequences such accountability may have for educators. The resistance that noncustodial fathers may find to their involvement with their childrens education at their children's schools in highlighted. The author concludes by…

This fact sheet presents numerous ways that parents can interact with their deaf-blind children. The challenges facing children with deaf-blindness are explained and compared to children without disabilities. Ways to recognize and then respond to children's actions are suggested and tips for developing good communication are presented, including…

This study examined the association between various shared activities and the quality of parent-child relationships. Participating in the study were 211 undergraduate students attending a small liberal arts college. They completed a questionnaire in which they rated the quality of their relationship with their parents, the amount of contact they…

The research cited in this paper is derived from a 2-year study of a professional development initiative in literacy with faculty members from an elementary school in an economically impoverished urban community. The paper explains that the study observed what a long-term, participatory, and voluntary professional development program constructed…