Community schools are an evidence-based strategy to advance a "whole child" approach to education by offering integrated student supports (e.g., health care or housing assistance), expanded and enriched learning time, family and community engagement, and collaborative leadership and practices. This brief examines how local government and…

An increasing number of children and youth have mental health disorders. To address this issue, federal and provincial mental health policymakers in Canada have recommended: (a) improving the coordination of services, and (b) increasing the role that schools play in providing supports. One way to operationalize these recommendations is to…

Purpose: This study tests key constructs of sociocultural and organizational learning theories with quantitative methods to better understand the nature and impact of district and school leadership and actions on the quality of programs of family and community involvement. Research Design: Survey data from a "nested" sample of 24 districts and 407…

The scientific community has provided a wide range of evidence that family and community involvement in schools benefits not only students' learning but also their surrounding community. The INCLUD-ED project has conducted case studies of successful schools around Europe that have strong community participation. Some of them are engaged in the…

Making Connections was the Annie E. Casey Foundation's signature place-based, community-change initiative of the 2000s. It sought to build on previous work and launch an effort focused firmly on the framework of family strengthening. The Foundation started Making Connections in 22 places, focusing eventually on first 10, then seven sites. It…

Participation in the natural settings of home and community is one of four major goals for families receiving Part C early intervention services. While participation has been formally recognized as an important service-related outcome, there is a need to build knowledge about its key features to adequately apply the concept in practice. The need…

Community schools are organized around two common goals: helping students learn and succeed and strengthening families and communities. Full-service community schools extend these guiding principles. They are centers of their communities, providing high-quality after-school opportunities, comprehensive early childhood education, real-world…

Parents are one of the most important influences in positive child and youth development, yet too many caregivers, especially those in higher risk families, fail to receive supports that would improve parenting and family functioning. By strengthening parent/caregivers and their connections to resources, communities can improve child and youth…

This document presents the appendix to the final report on the Child and Family Resource Program (CFRP), a Head Start-affiliated program designed to promote community and family involvement in fostering optimum development of preschool children. (The final report was contained in a series of documents, which included program descriptions from each…

Intended for parents, teachers, school administrators, and parent and community groups, this guide lists resources and services available from 34 National Coalition for Parent Involvement in Education member organizations to ensure that parents and schools are involved as equal partners in providing quality education for all children. The guide is…

On Head Start's 30th anniversary, highlights its components of parent involvement and family support, commitment to meeting local needs, training and technical assistance support, and collaborative approach. Also discusses the Head Start Reauthorization Act and the special advisory committee's recommendations for the improvement of the Head Start…

These transcripts provide testimony given on the implementation of the Even Start Family Literacy Program, a program designed to help parents work with their children to improve the educational opportunities for both. Prepared statements and testimony was given by John T. MacDonald, Assistant Secretary for Elementary and Secondary Education,…

Describes a special Head Start initiative called Free to Grow: Head Start Partnerships to Promote Substance-Free Communities. Notes five such Head Start programs in Puerto Rico, Kentucky, California, Colorado, and New York that have designed substance abuse prevention models to strengthen families and neighborhoods by providing a healthy…

This report presents a description of the Jackson, Michigan site of the Child and Family Resource Program (CFRP), Head Start-affiliated program designed to promote community and family involvement in fostering optimum development of preschool children. The Jackson site is one of 11 demonstration sites of the national CFRP. The local program was…

This double issue of the journal "Report" focuses on the collaboration among seven social service systems that support and serve children and families. Each of the sections discusses one of the seven systems, presents an overview essay, and profiles programs that execute the service. The first section, on education, emphasizes linkages…