In addition to fostering bilingualism and biliteracy for all students, one of the main goals of Two-Way Immersion (TWI) programs is building positive cross-cultural relationships (). This can lead to TWI programs having ambitious goals for the kinds of bridges it can build between students, families, and communities, which is a challenge when the…

Based on two case studies of Third Sector Organizations (TSOs) working with schools and parents in Catalonia and London, this paper aims to discuss some of the implications of "participative" programmes aimed at involving those migrant families seen by schools as "hard to reach". First, we describe how an ambiguous notion of…

The article focuses on the parent role in the education of autistic children, considers problems experienced by families of autistic children, methods of school-parent cooperation, and gains possible through cooperative program development. The program of the Brentwood (California) Center for Educational Therapy is described. (MJB)

Describes a literacy program at one Ohio elementary school in which students, parents, and school personnel share in the process of literacy development. Discusses empowering the community through literacy; ownership through shared decision making, celebrating diversity, welcoming parents as educational partners, and the school as a community…

Identifying primary themes in literacy development and suggesting parallel practices to reinforce them, this book details how teachers and the families of students created a connection between home and school, developing respected partnerships in the teaching/learning process. The book features the voices of teachers, children, and parents;…

Addresses the need of involving the family and aspects of child development into helping children achieve academic success. Several collaborative efforts are highlighted, and the key features of strategies for collaboration are discussed. The article concludes with analysis of these collaborative efforts to determine the lessons to be learned. (GR)

Describes On Board Early, a Baltimore program designed to increase family-school experiences that support children's success. Discusses such program features as specialized family involvement staff, a parents-as-teachers program, a family-centered approach to supporting the transition to school, and planning for long-term family involvement.…

Describes the Home Visit Initiative at Socorro Middle School in Texas. Discusses the purpose of home visits; selection of families for teacher home visits; the visiting team; parents', students', and teachers' reactions to visits, and the results of an evaluation of the home visits, especially the impact on parent volunteerism and schooling,…

This document describes four states' approaches to increasing the involvement of families in schools. It discusses the strategies used by the states to: (1) enhance teachers' capacity to work with families; (2) encourage local school districts to develop family involvement programs; (3) encourage efforts that use family involvement as a component…

Because schools, communities, and families play interconnected roles in the crucial mission of educating children, they must find ways to work together as educational partners. Providing parents with information and resources to support their children's education is a cornerstone of the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB). This sourcebook is based on…

The Teacher-Parent Partnership for the Enhancement of School Success Project was a cooperative project involving the University of South Carolina and the Salkehatchie Consortium (a collection of 18 rural school districts). Its goal was to increase the language, mathematics, social responsibility, and expressive skills of young at-risk children…

This report reviews recent initiatives to improve family-school collaboration and communication. The six articles are: (1) "Schools, Families, and Students Get Stronger When Parents and Teachers Take Collaboration into Their Own Hands," which highlights parent-teacher action research projects at eight schools through eight case studies; (2)…

A partnership between the College of Education of the University of South Carolina, the Salkehatchie Consortium of schools, International Business Machines, and families and schools in Allendale, South Carolina, and Estill, Denmark was formed in an effort to implement a project designed to enhance the school success of at-risk elementary school…

This book describes existing examples of good practice in parent-teacher relations in schools in England as a guide for other schools to develop innovative techniques. Observations are based on the responses of headmasters of some 30 schools the author visited. The opening chapter touches upon attitudes toward parent-teacher cooperation,…

Designed to help parents and teachers think beyond the ordinary ways in which parent-family involvement in education is considered and approached, this book describes 34 operational parent-family involvement programs in preschools and in elementary, middle, and high schools. It also describes programs run by school districts and communities. Among…