Describes a school social-work intervention that enhanced parents' ability to promote their children's educational success. The intervention was designed to promote family involvement in home learning by facilitating the exchange of information between home and school and providing families with educational resources. The intervention demonstrated…

Presents an overview of policies and practices related to the parent-school relationship in nine countries including Canada, Denmark, France, Germany, Ireland, Japan, Spain, the United Kingdom, and the United States. Considers reasons for involving parents in schools, discusses two types of parental participation in education, and offers…

Discussion of problems faced by early interventionists in working with families offers practical guidelines for developing effective collaborations between early intervention programs and families. These include establishing family-centered services and rules for clinician/parent communication, encouraging the family to be a genuine coparticipant,…

To be committed to family involvement, teachers need to see results and receive support. Administrators can focus on results by exposing teachers to positive outcomes of family involvement through literature and successful teachers' experiences. Administrators can provide support through planning, allocating personnel and resources to help,…

Interviewed parents and caregivers to assess perceptions of their child's transition from kindergarten to Grade 1. Themes identified included: anxiety about preparing and protecting children in a system viewed as curriculum-driven; apprehension about changes in the parent/caregiver role; escaping from the school's stereotypes of the family; and…

Going beyond the "family deficit" perspective, new models for understanding the relationship between home and school begin with literacy practices in the family. This requires understanding of sociocultural influences on school success. Educational practices that understand the complexity of these issues can help create genuine home-school…

This study examined the relationships between multiple family and child factors and amount and type of parent participation in school activities for 35 families of children ages seven and eight with developmental delays. Informational resources and school characteristics related most strongly to variations in parent participation. (Author/DB)

Describes a federally funded, five-year program for at-risk youths. The program focuses on alcohol, drug, and dropout prevention for low-income, high-minority public school districts. Two successful components--the Outdoor and Environmental Education program and a school-based mentoring program for middle school students--are detailed. (RJM)

Analysis of matched samples of Swiss (n=443) and U.S. (n=740) women found important differences. Labor force participation of the Swiss was more strongly influenced by family configuration. Associations between educational credentials and occupational sex typing was more persistent in Switzerland. Results show how cultural, institutional, and…

Describes family writing workshops as a way to share with the families how writing is used in high school classroom, as they brainstorm memories, do 20 minutes of free writing on a memory from their list, share their writing, and write closing letters. Discusses benefits and the impact of these workshops and offers guidelines. (SR)

The Home and School Institute's MegaSkills curriculum develops habits, behaviors, and attitudes needed for school and future success. It relies heavily on family responsibility and involvement in education. Teachers are specially trained to foster parent participation. (SK)

Poverty is prevalent in rural communities and has a pervasive impact on education. Rural schools must create partnerships with local businesses and empower and include parents in the education of their children. Presents five social and economic barriers to rural educational improvement, and outlines characteristics of successful models of…

Examines the influence of the family on women's achievement in scientific careers in the sub-Saharan African and Caribbean regions. Concludes that when compared with their North American and European counterparts, there are significant differences in the family experiences of African and Caribbean women scientists. (Author/SAH)

Describes "Giant Steps--St. Louis," a program for children with autism characterized by a holistic approach, the use of "invitational" equipment, continuity between home and school, and integration into the neighborhood school for part of each day. Provides a case study showing a child's typical day Program effectiveness is…

Because more than 3.75 million children are being raised in households headed by a grandparent, this article attempts to describe contextual aspects of custodial grandparent families. Implications for working with custodial grandparent families, as well as suggested strategies for building close collaborations, are also provided. (Author/DB)