Although many studies make important contributions to understanding the process and outcomes of school-based parent involvement initiatives, more work needs to be done to measure parent perceptions of parent involvement practices, policies, and barriers in low SES schools serving minority students. This qualitative case study looked to identify…

What if the families of students most impacted by the opportunity gap somehow had the power to organize whatever activities they felt would best help their children succeed? That's the question that began Families with Power/Familias con Poder (FWP), a grassroots organization of low-income students and caregivers in Northampton, MA. Through…

Interviews with 150 low-income parents in three countries reveal that their low involvement with the schools was due to the fact that teachers and administrators have a substandard view of low-socioeconomic status families, and the parents have low assessments of their own educational effectiveness. Empowerment programs in each country are…

A group of three conference papers, all addressing effective instructional programs, is presented in this document. The first paper, entitled "The Organization--A Viable Instrument for Progress" (Barbara Sizemore), addresses the subject of high-achieving, predominantly black elementary schools. Routines in these schools not present in…

This report describes a study which identified concerns and questions of general and special educators about inclusion and effective strategies for operating a successful inclusion model. Seven pairs of special and general educators in elementary and middle schools comprised the primary study group. Study group pairs interviewed their faculties…