Examines the benefits of exchanging weekly letters among a teacher, first-grade students, and their parents during the school year. The teacher had the opportunity to model letter writing for the children and kept communication open with the parents. Parents were kept informed of their children's performance, and the children were involved in a…

Describes a productive collaboration between a teacher and a researcher who explored the procedures and consequences of involving parents in assessing their children's writing. An analysis of participants' responses to this role suggested it met with success. Suggestions for how the activity can be used as a valuable part of the educational…

The cooperative elementary school model uses cooperation, particularly cooperative learning, as a philosophy for educational change. A 2-year study of the cooperative elementary school model in 2 treatment and 3 comparison schools involving 1,012 students demonstrates positive effects on academic achievement and social relations. (SLD)

This article considers the idea of culturally appropriate practice versus developmentally appropriate practice and discusses ways that early childhood educators can create a curriculum that considers the values and beliefs of an increasingly diverse student population. It is recommended that teachers rely on students' families for information on…

This description of the School Development Program of J. Comer at Valencia Park Center for Academics, Drama, and Dance in San Diego (California) is accompanied by an interview with E. Joyner. The approach focuses on nurturing students, parents, and teachers, rather than on weaknesses or deficits. (SLD)

Orientation for first-year college students is important for students, parents, and the institution. It should fit institutional traditions, values, and culture, involve parents, be staffed by well-trained current students, and be carefully evaluated for improvement. Mississippi State University's program focuses on retention and is festive,…

Describes the school choice program and its implementation in Minnesota. The Post-Secondary Options program offers public high school students the chance to take courses in other high schools or colleges. The High School Graduation Incentive Program helps students work out their educational problems and graduate from high school. (JB)

Choice plans include private schools (voucher plans, tax credits and deductions, and contract services and charter plans) and public schools (intradistrict choice, interdistrict choice, and statewide choice). Issues spanning both areas are those of curricular choice and residential choice. (SLD)

This interview recounts one parent's school choice in a controlled choice system that is designed to bring about racial balance. The African-American mother interviewed chose to return her children to a city school because she felt that the suburban school they had been attending was racially biased. (SLD)

This study of 20 mothers and their fluent children (ages 3-5) found no significant differences between the effects of instructions to slow maternal speech rate and instructions to slow and simplify maternal speech. Children's speech rate and language complexity did not parallel maternal adjustments, which is problematic for parental involvement in…

Discusses the development, implementation and implications of the Parent Assisted Reading Program at the Sunrise School in northern Utah which serves half-day kindergarten children. This program was designed to increase volunteer participation by parents in early (storybook) reading activities in the schools. (BB)

Explores issues of parent involvement in light of current educational reform movements, asserts that parent involvement as a voluntary effort may not be effective, and argues that businesses and industries interested in reform are not focusing sufficiently on work-related variables that might encourage involvement of parents and other adults. (SLD)

Relates the results of a study of four Mexican-American immigrant families and the public school system. Describes communication problems between these families and schools and special fears and barriers that immigrants experience. Interviews found that parents were interested in their children's education but unsure how to contribute. (JB)

Parents' general satisfaction with child care, which they often do not investigate fully, and the ways they make their child care choices suggest that parents are not likely to be major catalysts for school reform. Issues of quality, equity, parent choice, and school restructuring are explored. (SLD)

Examines effects of parental participation in work and family roles on perceptions of responsibility for their children's school adjustment for 129 female and 124 male college students. Results raise concerns about perceptions of responsibility for divorced working mothers, who were given less credit and more blame than other groups. (SLD)