Creating a healthier school in today's world of budget cuts and seemingly endless to-do lists is not only possible, but it is also imperative. Beyond the health implications, one of the most compelling reasons for creating healthier schools is that wellness serves as a power booster for learning. Numerous studies have documented what educators…

Full-service community schools do more than educate; they partner with the community to provide the supports and services that students and families need through one comprehensive, coordinated effort. By offering services on-site, full-service schools can help eliminate some barriers that families face such as problems with transportation, lack of…

It is clear that family support for students' education is important, but it is also an aspect of educators' work that can be frustrating when repeated efforts to engage families do not seem to pay off in high levels of engagement. In this article, the author takes a few steps back and looks at some important topics related to family involvement.…

Parents often go to principals to ask for help in supporting their gifted children. They may request acceleration for their child in mathematics, a specialized curriculum or course, extracurricular activities, a pullout program, or even a different teacher. Since misconceptions about identifying gifted students are prevalent, it's important that…

A principal cites research and personal experience to advocate major changes in the way young children are judged to be ready for kindergarten. They include restricting enrollment before the age of 5 1/2, sharply focused screening, and early involvement of parents.

Most educators, especially elementary principals, know from experience and common sense that attending school regularly during the early elementary years is essential. Young children need enough time in the classroom to gain the basic social and academic skills that will equip them to succeed long term in school. What many educators might not…

Today in the U.S., more than 4 million elementary and secondary students require language assistance, and growth of the English-language learner (ELL) population is expected to continue. Thus, school staffs must be prepared to meet challenges that will arise because of the changing population and an increase of ELLs. School districts that are…

Parents of struggling learners are often unsure of how to assist their children at home. The author provides useful strategies and tips for principals to help parents support and encourage their children who are slow learners.

Describes one school's use of several McDonald's-inspired marketing strategies to promoting parent involvement. For example, determine your target audience; offer parents something free. (PKP)

A set of questions and answers directed at developing an effective parent-involvement program. For example, Question: What are the basic ingredients of a good parent-involvement program? Answer: Communicating, parenting, student learning, volunteering, decision-making, community collaboration. (PKP)

See how well this describes the parent involvement program at your school.

Research shows that parent involvement makes a significant difference in children's achievement, especially during elementary and middle school. Even though the school year is well underway, there is still plenty of time to make this your school's best year ever for parent involvement. Here are some of the most effective strategies I've come…

As schools across the nation strive to eliminate student achievement gaps, it has become more crucial than ever for parents to be involved, especially parents of children achieving below grade level. In Maryland's Howard County Public Schools, a parent-teacher conferencing program called SMART, focused on Specific, Measurable, Achievable,…

Many nations, including the United States, have had to make difficult decisions that often affect educational equity. This article addresses three controversial issues--parental contributions to public schools, student tracking, and testing practices--by comparing policies in South Africa, England, and China with those in the United States.

The Secretary of Education urges principals to read "America Goes Back to School: Get Involved," produced by the Partnership for Family Involvement in Education. This publication encourages parents, grandparents, community and religious leaders, employers, college students, and other caring citizens to work together to improve schools…