This article uses figured worlds to explore the limit-situations imposed by dominant narratives of home-school relationships. Through a semiotic analysis of a wall hanging in a preschool classroom, we explore what figured worlds are imagined as possible for home-school relationships. The dominant narratives implicit in these figured worlds ossify…

This qualitative, phenomenological study explored the lived experiences of parents with children in public schools in Northern Colorado, addressing a gap in the understanding of parent-school partnerships within the educational context. The problem was parents must navigate complex public school systems in Northern Colorado. This issue underscored…

This dissertation presents a qualitative study exploring the motivations behind parents' and guardians' decisions to enroll and maintain their elementary-aged children in a residential school setting. The study identified three key factors influencing these decisions: the pursuit of non-financial stability, the desire for reputable education, and…

The purpose of this article is to discuss family literacy practices that can support a collaboration between families and children as well as families and schools in ways that can strengthen this relationship and motivate early childhood learners to engage in literacy. First, family literacy programs, initiatives, and practices are discussed,…

This study examines parent-school collaboration in primary schools. School administrators, teachers, and parents are the stakeholders of the school, together with the students. Coordinated and harmonious work by all stakeholders increases the success of the school. The family plays an important role in raising a child, and the importance of…

This practice article describes one inclusive postsecondary education program's pilot intervention to increase communication amongst caregivers and inclusive postsecondary staff. This pilot intervention aimed to address and alleviate the difficulty caregivers might experience as their young adult with an intellectual or developmental disability…

Background: Family-school connections during the transition from preschool to primary school are crucial, as they serve to bridge the gap between the home and school learning environments. In order to support children's learning and engagement throughout their school career, more needs to be understood about the factors that contribute to…

Family engagement is a major component in assisting student success and academic growth; however, within the inner city, it can be difficult to get families engaged due to many different factors. Schools can increase family engagement by giving families the knowledge to be successful. The purpose of this dissertation is to present how effective it…

In response to economic distress, schools are increasingly serving as providers and distributors of social service resources. However, even when schools offer resources that respond to needs, they struggle to attain high levels of uptake. We examine the family-level correlates of participation in school-sponsored resources during the early months…

This qualitative case study sought to explore parents' perceptions of home-school partnerships for preschool-age children's literacy development. Research indicates that early childhood centers and preschools are seeing a decline in parent involvement, even though studies indicate that home-school partnerships are essential for optimal success in…

Community schools respond to a variety of risk factors that impede student learning and development. School and community leaders in Canyons School District (CSD) have created community schools across one highly impacted feeder pattern to strengthen academic learning efforts, school climate and youth development opportunities, parent and family…

This article aims to explore parents' perspectives on, and experiences of, home and preschool collaboration in a Swedish context. The research question is: How do parents perceive the process of building good relationships with preschool practitioners? The data consist of interviews with 10 parents with one or more children attending preschool.…

Background: Parent involvement in school is a consistent predictor of educational success. However, research has been inconsistent in addressing how parent involvement ought to be defined and measured, which has led to varied findings across schools and educational systems. Aims: Attending to the multidimensionality of the construct, this study…

The pandemic forced schools to update the way they reach and interact with families. According to a survey of over 1,300 administrators and other staff members conducted by Parent Square in the last two to three years, district and school leaders expect mobile apps, texts, and social media to be the primary methods of getting their messages out to…

Nearly 1 in 5 U.S. students attend rural schools. Researchers report that at least half of public schools are rural in 12 states (i.e., Montana, South Dakota, Vermont, North Dakota, Maine, Alaska, Oklahoma, Nebraska, Wyoming, New Hampshire, Iowa, and Mississippi) (Showalter et al., 2019). Providing quality education to all rural students is a…