In these days of high stakes testing, it is imperative that a sense of trust and mutual respect be developed for all stakeholders--students, parents, and school personnel--as they work together for optimal student achievement. A simple conversation can often open the doors of understanding. If parents and guardians feel at ease with their child's…

During summer vacation, many students lose knowledge and skills. By the end of summer, students perform, on average, one month behind where they left off in the spring. Participation in summer learning programs should mitigate learning loss and could even produce achievement gains. Indeed, educators and policymakers increasingly promote summer…

Hearing language is the first step in learning to read, write, and make sense of the world. The language gap that results in the achievement gap begins at home. Schools can and should do their part to close this gap, but parents, by reading to children and interacting with them in positive and encouraging ways, need to do their part, too. The idea…

In the last decade, more than 800,000 parents of school-age children have been deployed by the U.S. military. Many have deployed more than once and for extended periods, often longer than a year. As a result, increasing numbers of students experience significant distress on a daily basis and are at increased risk for behavioral problems, decreased…

The programs of the Rutgers' Center for Family Involvement in Schools create a partnership for learning between families and schools that promotes and enhances academic success. They also create a powerful school climate that demonstrates respect, trust, and belonging. In addition to teacher-training programs, the center conducts summer leadership…

The Coalition for Community Schools, an alliance of more than 150 national, state, and local organizations, is bringing public schools in partnership with community resources to improve student success. While that might seem like an abstract idea, it has very concrete goals, such as boosting high school graduation rates and college readiness.…

Without question, schools must be accountable for students' performance. But schools can not meet students' needs alone. Young people need more connections, more support, more opportunities, and more learning time to be successful. When supports and services are not available, often it is the teachers who step in to fill the void. They do this…

High-quality organized sports are a gateway to academic achievement, better grades, improved chances of attending college, and success in the labor market--and these benefits are especially important for low-income youth. The author's report analyzes several distinct strands of research on the effects on youth of participation in organized sports.…

According to James Weill, president of the Food Research and Action Center (FRAC), breakfast is not the solution to the problems in America's schools, but it is the fastest, easiest, cheapest way of boosting school performance. According to FRAC, the federal breakfast program run by the Agricultural Department reached a record 7.7 million…

The gap in academic achievement between English speakers and English learners continues to concern educators, parents, and legislators. Rising expectations for literacy and the increasing number of students from diverse backgrounds contribute to this achievement gap. In this article, the author discusses a variety of strategies for reaching out to…

For students born into poverty, grades 4-5 are a boundary where their learning needs change dramatically and in ways that have been consistently misunderstood throughout the many waves of well-intentioned reform over the past century. As a result, these needs have remained unaddressed, and grades 4-5 have become the boundary line where they start…

It is no secret that strong parental involvement is essential for school success. Yet, it is still a challenge to get parents more involved in their children's education. According to the most recent MetLife Survey of the American Teacher, teachers and principals agree on the importance of parental involvement--71% of principals and 59% of…

Home-based programs provide opportunities at a level far beyond what a traditional public school program can offer. To stem enrollment losses to homeschooling, or simply to help families interested in home-based option, public schools are enrolling children and sending them home, where they follow the school's curriculum under their parents'…

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, Latino students accounted for 18% of the school population in 2003, and the larger Latino population had reached 41.3 million as of 2004. With a yearly growth rate of 3.6%, Latinos continue to be the fastest growing population group in the nation. As Latinos continue to shape the diversity in the schools, many…

A joint study by Public Agenda and the National Center for Public Policy and Higher Education has shed new light on the role of Hispanic parents in their child's education and shattered the myth that Latino parents have minimal educational aspirations for their children. Released in June, With Diploma in Hand: Hispanic High School Seniors Talk…