Parental engagement today changes the future of education for the students and parents of tomorrow. In "Building Parent Capacity in High Poverty Schools," the educational leader known as "the woman who makes schools work for the poor" shares insightful strategies and personal stories to guide educators in fostering meaningful…

Nearly every secondary-age student must complete homework for their classes, and for many students with disabilities, completing homework at home is a struggle. Students with disabilities often require substantial support to execute homework assignments, and this responsibility frequently falls to their families. This dynamic can create a…

Although many teachers hold generally positive views of using disability literature with children to support the development of more inclusive communities and schools (Beneke & Cheatham, 2020), little is known about how teachers work with families and address concerns families may have about using such literature. What follows are three…

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…

Starting from the premise that children learn better when their learning community respects their families and cultures, this thought-provoking resource shows what it means--and what it takes--to include today's diverse parents in their children's learning. Moving readers away from out-of-date practices that can potentially marginalize and devalue…

Although collaborating with families is essential to the success of students, especially those with disabilities (McConnell & Murawski, 2017; Yell & Bateman, 2020), it is a complicated relationship. It is a relationship bringing together people who care deeply about a child. These relationships can be emotional and include love,…

Learn how to center, affirm, and develop Black immigrant literacies in ways that allow all youth to engage with and honor their literacies. This book presents a framework to revolutionize teaching in ways that draw on students' assets for redesigning, rethinking, and reimagining literacy and the English language arts curriculum. This novel…

The "IDRA Newsletter" serves as a vehicle for communication with educators, school board members, decision-makers, parents, and the general public concerning the educational needs of all children across the United States. The focus of this issue is "Authentic Family & Community Engagement." Contents include: (1) Recent…

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…

Education forms a very significant activity within the Roman Catholic Church. The cultural and ethical formation of young generations and thus the future of society and the Church depend largely on it. Catholic schools grant the opportunity to base formal education on Christian anthropology and to shape students' personality in the light of the…

This book is a first person narrative from a parent/community advocate. Examining my personal experiences as a parent of color in a Higher Learning Institute, I highlight some of the frustrations experienced by urban working class parents of color as they attempt to engage teachers in their community's schools. I underscore the importance of one…

"I wasn't taught this way. I can't help my child!" These are common refrains from today's parents and guardians, who are often overwhelmed, confused, worried, and frustrated about how to best support their children with what they see as the "new math." The problem has been compounded by the shift to more distance learning in…

Homework is a task that teachers assign to students that is typically completed outside of class time to supplement in-school academic activities (Olympia et al., 1994) and has demonstrated to have positive effects on academic achievement (H. Cooper et al., 2006). There are many benefits of homework on student learning. Unfortunately, not all…

Many refugee students with disabilities are entering their American classrooms for the first time after experiencing adversity and trauma. They may have experienced famine, war, displacement, forced migration and abuse. One can also presume that their special education needs were neglected due to the limited resources that were available to them.…

Nearly 1 in 5 U.S. students attend rural schools. After a two-year pandemic, issues related to funding, teacher recruitment and retention, and serving disadvantaged students have become more severe in rural school districts. In the five-part report series, "Educational Equity for Rural Students: Out of the Pandemic, but Still Out of the…