Lack of relevant course work is a top reason why high school students drop out, and studies have shown that low-income and minority students are less likely to be enrolled in college preparatory curricula than their more affluent peers. In today's world, it is critical to ensure that all students have access to a rigorous, high-quality education…

Research has suggested that parenting practices have an influence on children's subsequent adjustment. It was hypothesized that maternal employment would be associated with both maternal and paternal parenting style, and that family SES would mediate these effects. A sample of 94 families (from the Philadelphia region) with children under the age…

This book presents a study of the ways in which home and school experiences affect the literacy achievement of a group of elementary school children from low-income families. Chapter 1 describes how the study differs from other literacy research. Chapter 2 describes the community where the research took place, some of the families studied, and the…

This study compared parent and teacher beliefs regarding the relative importance of a set of child care and education tasks, and assessed the degree to which the responsibility for these tasks was perceived to be shared between home and school. The questionnaires of the Perception of Parental Role Scales were administered to three groups of…

An 8-month practicum was developed to eliminate the communication gap experienced by parents moving from the multi-communicative atmosphere of the elementary school to the relatively incidental reporting environment of the junior high school. The practicum sought to increase home-school communication through parental awareness and involvement. An…

Illinois Senate Joint Resolution 173 resulted in the appointment in 1994 of a 53-member Work Group on Early Childhood Education. This group was mandated to report to the Senate on the development and implementation of a statewide early childhood education and care program. The group identified key issues, delimited legislative objectives, offered…

An increasing number of American grandparents, from all socioeconomic and ethnic groups, have taken on the role of surrogate parents to their grandchildren. Reasons behind this trend involve a variety of family circumstances, including the death of one or both parents, parental abandonment, the high incidence of divorce, an increase in the number…

This study examines the connections between work, families, and early childhood education, and analyzes international trends and perspectives on parental leave. Chapter 1, "Introduction," shows that the increase in paid work by mothers makes families, work, and education important research and policy issues, and surveys reasons for this…

This book contains eight chapters focused on various facets of adolescent work experiences and their effects on the student, the family, and the student's relationship to school, based on research conducted during the Youth Development Study. "Work, Family, and Adolescent Development" (Jeylan T. Mortimer, Michael D. Finch) summarizes earlier…

This paper describes a proposed model for providing educational services to students with autism and other pervasive developmental disorders (PDD). The model was developed by special education administrators in response to significant increases in the number of students diagnosed with PDD. Services that are necessary to support a classroom for…

Responding to increased interest in the development and education of children, many states have invested in initiatives to facilitate school success of prekindergarten-age children. Although national progress is encouraging, individual state initiatives are uneven, ranging from bold innovations with major funding to inaction and reliance on…

In addition to the appropriate equipment and curriculum, a necessary ingredient of an effective preschool program is the quality of the interpersonal climate within the classroom. This interpersonal aspect of the preschool program is the focus of this paper. It begins by discussing the role of the early childhood educator in establishing the…

This report describes the initial plan, participants, and evaluation of Saint Paul (Minnesota) Children's Initiative (SPCI) during 1993. The SPCI is a family-community program to improve child health, child development, school performance, and to enhance family functioning through formal and informal support systems in Saint Paul/Ramsey county. At…

Acknowledging the growing trend to educate school-aged children at home, this book provides a detailed account of home schooling, providing a vision of home education that reflects its multidimensional nature. The book consists of seven chapters: (1) "Learning about Home Schools" describes the research study from which this book is drawn…

This book guides teachers on using portfolios and authentic assessment to create reflective students and teachers through specific instruction, examples, and descriptions of many actual elementary school classrooms, teachers, and students who use this approach. Authentic assessment allows students to participate actively in their own learning.…