Improvement of a school's discipline program can begin with the opinion inventories published by the National Study of School Evaluation. Once teachers, students, and parents have assessed strengths and weaknesses, an appropriate plan can be chosen. This article outlines five approaches. (WD)

Because of accelerating social change, conventional parent involvement efforts aimed at the traditional family have proven ineffective. This article discusses three basic approaches to involve parents: direct involvement in school management and choice; participation in special parenting training programs; and participation in family resource and…

This brochure from the National PTA outlines the roles of parents and principals in the education of youth and suggests how they can work together. (JM)

Renewed emphasis on parent and community involvement is critical to success of Goals 2000. U.S. Department of Education is working with broad-based coalition of parent and education groups on new Family Involvement Initiative that will facilitate cooperation of parents and families with schools and communities. Schools succeed best by making…

Urban parents, particularly those who are poor and members of a minority group, are intimidated by the schools that serve their children and, therefore, do not participate in school programs. This article suggests steps urban principals can take to establish an effective parent involvement program. (Author/WD)

Examines a list of nine awarenesses, or recognitions, that must undergird any search or realistic hope for confident education, which has two dimensions: sound and effective education and the way people feel about that education. (Author/IRT)

Only 10% of schools have achieved genuine partnerships with their families and communities. This article summarizes decades of research demonstrating the importance of risk-taking principals, teacher engagement, diverse involvement opportunities, outside facilitators, family-welcoming strategies, learning at home, effective school-home…

A three-part intervention program for coping with antisocial children is examined. The three parts include parent training, academic remediation, and coping skills. (12 references) (SI)

To enlist the whole community in educating children, educators must expand their vision of family and community involvement, build new kinds of "doors" and "windows," and develop new mindsets about families, communities, and schools. Effective partnership practices are developmental, responsive, and student-centered. Some…

In existing school-based management models, the principal's role ranges from chairing the local council to being a coach/facilitator. With teachers and parents assuming greater control over governance, curriculum, and budgeting, paranoid principals may establish more formal bargaining relationships with district boards. Caution is advised, because…

The author arrived at the Delta Principals Institute with low expectations and the same obstacles facing other principals from poverty-stricken areas: poor student achievement, staff apathy, lack of parental support, superannuated curricula, and poor community support. There he learned how to overcome these obstacles by using a more participative…

A model professional development school (PDS) serves Celebration, Florida, a planned community built by the Disney Corporation. The K-12 Celebration School resulted from cooperation among the Osceola County School District, Stetson University, and Disney. In this PDS, featuring multiage groupings and individualized instruction, students, staff,…

Sets forth the essential characteristics of Japan's approach to education, including the content, structure, and objectives of public schools; teaching conditions, teaching methods, and the characteristics of teachers; the role of parents; the role of supplemental private education; and the cultural factos that underlie the system's…