Analysis of data on a conflict between the Joshua Gap (California) school district and local parents over the district's decision to utilize a multiculturally oriented textbook series suggests that contrasting images of the local and larger U.S. community, and contrasting views about the role of schooling, contributed to the conflict. (IAH)

School improvement that considers families moves toward greater understanding of learning barriers. Strategies designed to make adolescent students "feel good" must be rejected for those that encourage family involvement by creating family partnerships, using the community as a learning laboratory, promoting performance-oriented tasks that tap…

Although families and early experiences have changed markedly, teacher roles have not. Traditional classroom management approaches are ineffective with children raised with little attention to timeliness, spatial rules, and property rights. Teachers must understand differences in value structures to motivate students and help them respond…

The Preventive Systemic School Counseling Model helps students, through increased involvement of integral subsystems (school staff, parents, and community resources), to become responsible, effective adults. As family, school, and community roles change, the model develops cognitive and affective strengths and helps the educational system produce…

Children at risk for cognitive difficulties were put in two intervention groups, family and day care education and family education alone, and one control group. Children were tested for cognitive performance. The family and day care group scored higher than other groups. No intervention effects were observed for the family education alone group.…

Presents specific ways teachers can create a safe, just, inclusive, communicative, inviting, and caring elementary classroom community that promotes academic achievement. Focuses on teachers becoming more caring and competent by being honest, cultivating communication skills, being flexible, being empathetic, promoting humor, being kind,…

Describes how a bilingual teacher and a professor collaborated in a bilingual classroom to create culturally relevant opportunities for learning. Examines the work of four fourth-grade students of different backgrounds to show what this culturally relevant learning looked like. Discusses sources of knowledge generation: families, multicultural…

Uses autobiographical analysis to understand the implicit beliefs of preservice teachers about teaching and learning. Finds five themes: instruction should be authentic, relevant, meaningful, purposeful, and interesting; students should be actively involved in their learning; reading and writing to learn are important; teachers can influence…

Both content and event analyses were applied to cultural and social knowledge underlying narrative production in three African-American preschoolers. Results suggest that the use of alternative approaches broadens understanding of the repertoire of narrative structures among African Americans. Suggestions are offered for building collaborative…

Provides an overview of the types, challenges, and benefits of school, family, and community partnerships internationally. Discusses six types of involvement essential for a comprehensive program of partnerships in relation to the articles in this focused journal issue. Considers challenges and benefits of these partnerships as illustrated by the…

The results of a recent study called Ask the Children challenges current thinking on work and family life, how we talk about it, and how we behave and communicate with children. This article shares eight findings from the study and the implications of the findings for leaders in the early childhood field. (TJQ)

Analyzes data about (Hong Kong) parents' and school personnel's perceptions on parental participation in varied school activities. Most school staff demonstrated unwelcome attitudes toward parent involvement; parents disliked being school managers. Both groups favored separate school-management responsibilities. A school-based management strategy…

Analysis of 225 surveys returned by school district superintendents indicated that most districts have grading policies and that these policies usually include modifications for students with disabilities. Trends in grading systems used and communication mechanisms employed are highlighted and discussed in relation to home-school collaboration and…

Evaluating children with traumatic brain injury (TBI) in order to facilitate their transition to school is reviewed. A process-oriented approach to assessing TBI children during rehabilitation is suggested. The major areas of functioning important to school reentry are discussed. The need for families and professionals to communicate about the…

The Road to Readiness component of the Center on Families, Communities, Schools, and Children's Learning focused on individual, family, and community supports and obstacles to school readiness. Several projects of the initiative are described, focusing on a chart developed to help parents encourage a child's early speech. (SLD)