Oklahoma implemented universal pre-K in 1998. It is one of only five states that has or is implementing universal preschool, and for several years has served more four-year-old children than any other state. The organization, Community Action Project (CAP) Tulsa, occupies a unique position in this work. As one of the largest anti-poverty agencies…

In the 1980s, mixed ability or physically integrated dance companies, such as AXIS and DancingWheels, began with professional performance goals, aimed at producing highquality choreographic work involving individuals with and without disabilities. Those companies are pioneers in the integrated dance field and serve as beneficial models of…

This article explores the potential of teacher leadership as a strategy to promote intercultural education by empowering parents and members of ethnic minority groups to participate in the life of the school. It links the idea of participation for social justice with the goals of intercultural education within the context of the APREME (Advancing…

Avenue Community Development Corporation (Avenue CDC) saw the necessity of increasing parent engagement while fostering leadership development in Houston's Northside community. The primary goals of Avenue CDC's Family Leadership Program are to actively engage parents in their children's education at all grade levels and foster strong relationships…

When children are struggling in school, underlying causes often include physical or behavioral health problems, poverty, abuse, and/or neglect. Children's poor physical health status has been linked to deficits in memory and reading ability. Children with behavioral problems are much more likely than others to have lower grades, miss school, be…

A growing body of research confirms that parents have a profound impact on their children's educational attainment, particularly in the secondary grades. Yet many Latino parents, particularly those of first-generation college students, lack information and knowledge about what their children need to prepare for college and are less likely to help…

The report describes evaluation activities of Minnesota's PACER (Parent Advocacy Coalition for Education Rights) Center's "Parents Helping Parents" Program and the "COUNT ME IN" Project. Section 1 focuses on "Parents Helping Parents," a program to make parents more effective advocates for their children and to…

An ecological model for service and advocacy for handicapped children through a residential diagnostic center is presented. Such a model is explained to provide a meaningful interrelationship of varied resources and agencies at the local, state, and federal level with a focus on the generic program. Four positive interfacing functions relating to…

The author describes the Parent Advisory Council for Exceptional Children of Baltimore City, an urban center program designed to increase active parental participation through formal and informal training which emphasizes Black student/parent rights and due process. Parents participate in a 6 week intensive training program with activities…

Intended for parents, the manual presents information on existing legislation pertaining to handicapped children in California, and guidelines for effective child advocacy in order to identify and obtain adequate services. Chapters cover the following topics (sample subtopics in parentheses): diagnostic and evaluative procedures (including a…

This report outlines the National Head Start Association's (NHSA) Quality Initiative, which is designed to promote and recognize practices of high quality in Head Start preschool programs. The Initiative recognizes that within the Head Start community there are four levels of quality: Needs Improvement, Adequate, Achievement, and Excellence. The…

This report reviews ongoing projects by the Parent Advocacy Center for Educational Rights (PACER), in particular its parent training program and programs for students. The Parents Helping Parents project is described and evaluated, including its efforts concerning public information, workshops for all parents, workshops for special groups,…

This report presents the findings of a study to evaluate the appropriateness of 63 alternative educational and vocational programs for high-risk adolescents in New York City, specifically youthful offenders and persons in need of supervision in the facilities of the New York State Division for Youth (DFY). The programs were established to provide…

The Padres a la escuela (PAE) or Parents in the School program in San Antonio (Texas) encouraged the participation of Hispanic parents in the education of their children. The successes of the PAE program are used in this guidebook to help parents, program staff, and policy makers in similar efforts. This handbook describes the history,…