This document describes the development, implementation, and evaluation of a 10-week parent effectiveness training program to improve black elementary school student attitudes and participation in extracurricular activities by improving the attitudes of their parents towards school. The program was developed in consultation with teachers and…

A survey of 34 migrant parents and 136 regular classroom teachers in a Kansas school district investigated opinions toward migrant education. Following an extensive literature review focusing on the importance of parent involvement in migrant education, the community of Hays (Kansas) and the Hays Unified School District are described, and the…

A behavior modification program was implemented to improve attendance and punctuality patterns of kindergarten students attending a small, rural elementary school. Also incorporated into the intervention were self-esteem and parent involvement components. Motivational strategies used were: a token economy; group-oriented behavior management…

This practicum paper documents the development and distribution of a handbook for child care administrators designed to increase parent involvement. It provides a review of the literature on parent involvement in day care centers and outlines the process used to develop the 12-page handbook. The handbook includes ways in which to measure the…

This practicum addressed the expressed need to help teachers become familiar with the writing process and to provide the staff with ways to incorporate more writing (composition) into their elementary (K-5) classrooms. The objectives included educating the teachers in the writing process so they could feel more comfortable in teaching the new…

Customer focus groups at Lakeshore Technical College, Wisconsin, were hindered by inadequate levels of participation. A study explored the effectiveness of using network meeting management software to increase focus group participation and the number of ideas generated as well as reduce the amount of time spent on conducting the focus group…

This 12-week practicum intervention was designed to enhance the listening skills of 22 kindergartners by means of a cooperative home-school developmental program. In the class, stories and poetry with listening themes were read aloud on a daily basis. Story structure was stressed. Puppets, flannel board stories, and dramatics were used. In…

The need to provide elementary school teachers with effective parent involvement strategies for hard-to-reach parents was addressed by designing an inservice for teachers which presented research-based strategies. Strategies included using a positive, non-threatening approach, employing personal, two-way communication, providing guidance and…

This practicum was designed to increase responsibility for completing and handing in homework among students in grades three, four, and five in a mid-Atlantic school district. Of a total of 128 students in these grades, 28 were identified to learn strategies to aid in completing homework. Nine solution strategies were employed: (1) provide…

This practicum was designed to involve senior citizen volunteers in the schools on a regular basis. Implemented in a suburban public school setting, the project involved: (1) the dissemination of information about senior citizen involvement to school district staff; (2) the development of a partnership between a regional senior volunteer program…

This report describes and evaluates a program to improve the dental health of Hispanic migrant children in a Los Angles County school district. Difficulties in providing dental health care to this population included the high cost of dental care, limited access to dental services, poor nutrition, and lack of parental involvement. The 3-month…

This report describes a practicum project designed to help first- through fourth-grade teachers acquire the knowledge, skills, attitudes, and strategies necessary to work effectively with a diverse student population; improve the social and academic performance of culturally diverse students; and increase parent involvement at school. The…

Concerns about the quality of a before- and after-school program on an overseas military installation arose due to low staff morale, caregivers' lack of training and experience, and child behavior problems. This practicum project devised and implemented a 10-week training program to increase staff knowledge of developmentally appropriate practices…