Observed the philosophies-in-action of new versus experienced parent volunteers in a community of learners elementary school, examining three philosophies-in-action: collaborating with students, directing them, and treating them in a laissez-faire fashion. Newcomers were more likely to apply a one-sided philosophy-in-action, while experienced…

Examines the influence of religious affiliation and attendance on the involvement of residential fathers in one-on-one activities, dinner with their families, and youth activities and found religious effects for each of these three measures. The study indicates that religion is related to paternal involvement in all three areas that were examined.…

Reviews support for parent-involvement practices, documents how underutilized parent involvement is in the public-school system, and examines some barriers accounting for the underutilization of this beneficial teaching practice, such as conflicting beliefs about the ways parents should be involved. (Contains 39 references.) (Authors/PKP)

Examined whether differences exist in participation in life activities, interaction with family members, and spousal conflict, by amount of time fathers spend using home computers. Findings indicated there were significant differences among fathers by amount of time fathers spent using home computers on 5 of 13 life activities, interaction with…

Youth sports can be a positive and enjoyable experience for children if sports are seen in the right perspective. This article presents guidelines for youth sports, based on the National Standards for Youth Sports, and describes a national campaign called Say Yes to Better Sports for Kids. (IAH)

Examined custodial fathers' engagement activities with minor children using data from heterosexual couples from National Survey of Families and Households. Strongest and most consistent predictors of paternal involvement with children 5-18 years of age were children's characteristics (age, number, biological status, gender composition). (Author/NB)

Examined potential impact of nonresponse on information about paternal involvement after separation by comparing sample of mothers whose children had nonresident father to sample of nonresident fathers in National Survey of Families and Households (NSFH). Findings suggest that the NSFH underrepresents nonresident fathers and that women orchestrate…

Childhood traumatic grief (CTG) is a condition in which trauma symptoms impinge on children's ability to negotiate the normal grieving process. Clinical characteristics of CTG and their implications for treatment are discussed, and data from a small number of open-treatment studies of traumatically bereaved children are reviewed. An empirically…

Research shows that parent involvement makes a significant difference in children's achievement, especially during elementary and middle school. Even though the school year is well underway, there is still plenty of time to make this your school's best year ever for parent involvement. Here are some of the most effective strategies I've come…

This study sought to validate measures of caretaker readiness to facilitate meaningful participation in the Exceptional Student Education (ESE) educational decision-making process. School districts have encountered great difficulty in achieving the federal standards for meaningful participation in educational decision making due to a lack of…

Early childhood special education (ECSE) (Part B/619) services are intended to enhance the cognitive, social, and behavioral development of children with disabilities by meeting the needs of children with a disability and their family. Little is known, however, about the relationship between ECSE services and early school performance. How ECSE…

The National Household Education Surveys Program (NHES) is a random digit dialing (RDD) survey program developed by the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) in the Institute of Education Sciences, U.S. Department of Education. The surveys are designed to help NCES collect data directly from households about important education topics.…

After three decades of decline, the amount of time spent by parents on childcare in the U.S. began to rise dramatically in the mid-1990s. Moreover, the rise in childcare time was particularly pronounced among college-educated parents. Why would highly educated parents increase the amount of time they allocate to childcare at the same time that…

Every child deserves a great school. When kids fail or schools fail, parents must engage and help restore them to the path of success. That assistance is especially called-for during a process called "Restructuring"--a status in federal law that requires schools to make major changes due to dreadful student test scores year-after-year.…

This study examined the longitudinal effects of 2 first-grade universal preventive interventions on academic outcomes (e.g., achievement, special education service use, graduation, postsecondary education) through age 19 in a sample of 678 urban, primarily African American children. The classroom-centered intervention combined the Good Behavior…