Immigrant parents' involvement in schools is often situated in literature within a framework of barriers and challenges that presumes deficit. "What if we describe (immigrant) parents through a framework of agency and knowledge? What would support from school and teachers look like, if they see parents in an agentic role? What would it mean…

Transition from primary (elementary) to secondary school can be both an exciting and a daunting prospect for young adolescents. Ensuring that students quickly settle into their new secondary school environment is the goal of transition programmes employed by schools. These programmes typically comprise a number of discrete and interrelated…

Although teachers work constantly with parents, discussions concerning parental roles in children's music learning are often left at the margins in music teacher training programs. The aim of this article is to offer a review of musical parenting research from an ecological perspective. Bronfenbrenner's bioecological theory of human development is…

New technology, including online gradebooks and learning management systems, allow schools to remotely involve families in their children's educations. This "engagement at a distance", as well as its impact on student learning, is examined through the lens of the author's experiences as a student-teacher. It is argued that while a…

University personnel tend to view "helicopter" parents as problematic. This article presents an alternative view in which these highly engaged parents can instead be utilized productively. The authors describe and assess the fidelity of a novel program in which involved parents were effectively leveraged to mitigate student…

Parent engagement in education has been shown to have positive effects on students' academic and social/emotional success. However, much of the research has focused on younger students. Less attention has been given to parent engagement at the secondary level, especially with respect to how parents choose to engage and how adolescents perceive…

Popular culture is all too familiar with the notion of the helicopter parent. This suffocating sheltering extends students' adolescence and delays the development of independence (Price, 2010), causing millennials to rely on their parents for financial stability (White, 2015) and emotional support (Raphelson, 2014). Even in the midst of…

This article discusses the future of university-based programmes aimed at enabling the access and successful participation of students from traditionally under-represented backgrounds in higher education. It builds a case for adopting three strategies in ensuring the sustainability of widening access and participation work: (1) embedding…

This paper looks at the Australian and German education systems using three key indicators - structures of educational opportunity, educational outcomes and the attitudes and behaviors of parents. The study is designed with the view that comparative research, which explores shared and unique system characteristics, underpins better explanations…

The Afterschool Alliance, in partnership with MetLife Foundation, is proud to present the third in its latest series of four issue briefs examining critical issues facing middle school youth and the vital role afterschool programs play in addressing these issues. This brief explores afterschool and parent engagement. There is little dispute…

There is an ample scholarly and popular literature describing the rise in "anxiety" among middle-class parents. This paper draws from a study of urban middle-class parents who were considering sending their children to public school. Focusing on one neighborhood and its school, it describes the impact of anxiety on the choice process. It further…

In this opinion piece, Michael Toscano writes that his criticism of the Common Core State Standards ultimately has very little to do with their innate quality, but rather that their relation to other social spheres is disordered. He refers to the full reordering of American education away from families and local communities--which he states are…

Research shows that the most important factor for the child's success in school is support from the parents. According to studies from several European countries, children, who have grown up under public care, often have unsuccessful school biographies. In Norway, some few studies indicate that the situation is not better for the children. One…

Since its ratification (NCLB) has received both praise and criticism from educators and parents. The No Child Left Behind Act is a reauthorization of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act that was passed in 1965. The purpose of this article is to discuss the pros & cons of "No Child Left Behind" and the core requirements for its…

This paper explores contributions of qualitative research to saving theory for children, youth, and parents in children's development account (CDAs) programs. It brings together findings from three studies: (1) elementary school age children saving for college, (2) youth transitioning from foster care saving for education and other purposes, and…