This book presents findings of a study that identified and analyzed 18 recently developed programs or reform efforts in the United States that stress effective parental involvement. Chapter 1 provides a review of education literature and research on parent involvement from 1945 to 1985 and situates newly emerging efforts within the current climate of school reform. Chapter 2 focuses on programs supporting parents of preschool-age children (Parents as Teachers, Home Instruction Program for Preschool Youngsters--HIPPY, Kenan Family Literacy Project, Center for Successful Child Development, and Family Readers Program). Efforts to help parents support their children's school learning are analyzed in chapter 3 (TransParent School Model, Family Study Institute program, Family Math and Science Programs, Megaskills Program, and Quality Education Project). The fourth chapter explores parents' roles in major school improvement or restructuring efforts (School Development Program, Accelerated Schools Project, League of Schools Reaching Out, and Center for Collaborative Education). Chapter 5 examines the involvement of parents in recent governance reforms (four programs--Kentucky; Chicago, Illinois; Los Angeles, California; and Dade County, Florida). The final chapter concludes that the programs share the following components, which represent new directions in parent involvement: (1) a core commitment to involve low-income and disadvantaged parents in activities aimed at improving student academic achievement; (2) origins in universities or nonprofit institutions, with sponsorship, implementation, and evaluation maintained by external institutions; (3) significant public-sector support; and (4) a strong commitment to reduce the gap between home culture and school culture by shaping program components to respond to and build on home-culture values, structures, and language. Contains 332 references, 16 contacts, and 4 tables. (LMI)