The "IDRA Newsletter" serves as a vehicle for communication with educators, school board members, decision-makers, parents, and the general public concerning the educational needs of all children across the United States. The focus of this issue is "Bridging the Digital Divide." Contents include: (1) Texas Needs an Equitable…

Each edition of the "IDRA (Intercultural Development Research Association) Newsletter" strives to provide many different perspectives on the issues in education topics discussed and to define its significance in the state and national dialogue. This issue focuses on parent and community engagement and includes: (1) Community Conversations about…

This study surveyed 45 selected primary and secondary schools in Botswana which aimed to identify how parent and community involvement in the governance of schools affect teacher effectiveness and improvement of learner performance. The study started from January 2005 to December 2006. Literature review, administration of questionnaires, interview…

In October 1994 the President signed into law the "Improving America's Schools Act." Title I, the largest primary and secondary federal education program was reauthorized by this legislation, which, among other things rewrote the Elementary and Secondary Education Act. The reauthorized law provides parents, advocates, and school…

The Mississippi Board of Education adopted the School/Community Involvement initiative in 2003 as a part of the Mississippi School Level Accountability Model Evaluation Instruments. This guide provides the components of those standards along with ideas and suggestions to assist parents, community members and school staff with the development or…

The Surgeon General, the Nation's top public health officer, is appointed by the President of the United States to help protect and promote the health of the Nation. The recently published "Surgeon General's Call to Action To Prevent and Reduce Underage Drinking" [ED496083] highlights underage alcohol use as a major public health and…

Although increasing numbers of organizations are speaking out on behalf of children, politicians need to hear first-hand from families about their concerns for their children. This book provides parents and others with skills necessary to organize effectively and speak out on issues that affect children at home, at school, and in the broader…

Intended for parents and all citizens concerned about improving Chicago's 592 public schools, this handbook explains how important reading is to a decent education and future employment. Chapter one describes the school improvement campaign called "Schoolwatch," the problems in the Chicago public schools, and the components of effective…

The Families in Education Program, dedicated to nurturing a family-community-school partnership, provides this packet for Wisconsin schools to use throughout the year to promote families and learning. The articles in this packet contain ideas for making family-community partnerships work in the schools. Articles address the following topics: (1)…

An ever-expanding body of social science research indicates that school is the single best avenue out of poverty, and educational achievement is now the most accurate predictor of a person's future economic success. Therefore, to help school districts, schools, parents, and community leaders improve the education of disadvantaged children, a wide…

Developed as part of the America Reads Challenge, this booklet helps family and community members to identify "checkpoints"--what most children can do in reading and writing by developmental periods and what most children can read, by grade level. The checkpoints are grouped largely by three-year developmental periods because children of…

This document is a loose-leaf collection of materials intended to help citizens become active in working to make schools more effective. Its organization and contents are geared to three kinds of information needs. Part A provides research evidence on what works in instruction. It includes (1) a summary of the "Effective Schools" research, (2) a…

A resource handbook is presented that provides an overview of parent and community involvement to assist local and state education agencies, higher education institutions, and other nonprofit organizations in enhancing the partnership between school and home for the benefit of minority language group students. The guide covers the following…

The purpose of this handbook is to provide guidelines for developing and implementing structured parent/community involvement programs in bilingual education and English as a Second Language (ESL) programs in local school districts. Section One concerns the assessment of school, parent, and community needs; this section contains suggestions for…

This handbook of information designed to help parents keep their children drug free outlines what children should know about drugs and suggests family activities to reinforce children's motivation to avoid drugs, including alcohol. The initial section provides general guidelines for talking with children about addictive substances. Discussion…