The design, implementation, and outcome of educational robots in special education have not been sufficiently examined in a systematic way. In particular, learner-based and contextual factors, as well as the essential roles played by various stakeholders have not been addressed when robots are used as a learning tool in special education.…

The social nature of language learning and development has been widely acknowledged, as has the importance of family relationships in language learning processes. The role that the first language plays in the literacy development of English language learners (ELLs) and their families is irrefutable. Advocates of family literacy programs have…

Background/Context: As accountability pressures have mounted toward ever-higher targets under the No Child Left Behind (NCLB) Act, low-achieving schools have sought new tools for raising achievement. The association between parent involvement and student achievement is well established, though the association is an indirect relationship mediated…

This study explores the impact of an alternative teacher preparation program development from the "inside out" or through the voices of second career teachers, known as "Career Switchers," at a mid-size state university. The major objective of this study was to probe into their perceptions to inform program development with reporting framed in…

It is suggested that institutions shift from a student-centered to parent-and-student-centered freshman orientation. Planning significant events for parents improves orientation quality and provides public relations opportunities. Good orientation will benefit parents, students, and the school. Application of a psychographic typology creates a…

An examination of family literacy programs was made in this newsletter issue to reveal the trends and practices of these programs and their contribution to the development of children of refugee parents. The examination found that most effective and innovative programs recognize that literacy instruction is more effective when it is content based…

This summary report describes Maine's early childhood demonstration sites--three model programs within the schools which serve as demonstration and training sites for public school and preschool educators and which increase access to quality programs for four-year-old children and their families. Demonstration sites were designed to provide an…

The Governor's Educator Excellence Grant (GEEG) program was federally- and state-funded and provided three-year grants to schools to design and implement performance pay plans from the 2005-06 to 2007-08 school years. GEEG was implemented in 99 high poverty, high performing Texas public schools. This report builds on the previous GEEG evaluation…

This report, the second in a series of six, describes the PUSH for Excellence (PUSH-EXCEL) Project--its origins, goals, approach, and extent of implementation. Each of the six reports tracks PUSH-EXCEL's progress in six sites: Chattanooga, Chicago, Denver, Kansas City, Los Angeles, and Memphis. Chapter 1 discusses the social movement that became…

This hearing provides information on major issues that parents and educators face in establishing a parent teacher relationship conducive to improving American education and discusses ways some communities are successfully dealing with those issues. Prepared statements testify to the effectiveness of established parent and community volunteer…

A report prepared for the U.S. Department of Education on three school program models for limited-English-speaking children is examined. The models include a structured English immersion strategy and early-exit and late-exit bilingual education. The report describes the three models, reviews evidence of their relative effectiveness, and assesses…

This paper identifies and reviews successful parent involvement programs for language minority parents of elementary school through secondary school children that could serve as a basis for the development of a home-school partnership model. Following an introduction, chapter 1, "Setting the Stage," provides a rationale for involving…

The Families Matter series of papers from the Harvard Family Research Project advances the concept of family-centered child care, advocating an approach to early childhood education that addresses the development of the child and family together. Grounded in family support principles, which build on family strengths and work from a community's…

This is a report on Home Activities for Toddlers and their Families (HATAF), an ongoing Israeli intervention program designed to provide home-based, educationally enriching activities for disadvantaged preschoolers and to enable mothers to participate in enhancing the intellectual development of their children. The report describes two sample…

This paper describes an Internet advocacy outreach project developed by Southwestern Oklahoma State University for parents of children with disabilities in rural western Oklahoma. The first phase of the project took place in the summer of 1999. Four free 3-hour workshops were provided that were designed to teach the following principles: basic…