Parental involvement in the educational process is examined as one of the elements that can raise academic achievement and allow schools to achieve success. The benefits of parental involvement are outlined, from those to students, such as improved academic performance, greater student motivation, and lower dropout rates, through those to parents…

This report describes a program for improving reading abilities and attitudes for "at-risk" students. The targeted population consists of second and fourth grade classes in a low-income community. The problem of low parental involvement, lack of books in the home, low motivation, and lack of consistency among reading programs and teachers…

Highlighting the impact of family and community involvement on student achievement, this videotape presents a satellite town meeting hosted by Secretary of Education, Richard Riley. The 60-minute video first notes the consensus in support of education, specifically higher standards, reasonable assessment, well-trained teachers, parent involvement,…

This report summarizes 48 states' current policies on the participation of students with disabilities in large-scale assessments and the accommodations noted in state policies as available for those students. In developing the summary, changes in state assessment policies were also checked. Charts in the report provide information on presentation…

Over 10 percent of American Indian and Alaska Native (AI/AN) students in public schools and more than 18 percent of AI/AN students in Bureau of Indian Affairs and tribal schools are eligible for or placed in special education programs. This digest addresses four selected issues in the education of AI/AN students with disabilities. First, the 1997…

This study investigated the effects of a video-based training program on the quantity and quality of family involvement in special education, perceptions of both family members and educators concerning parental competence as team members, and family members' satisfaction with their own involvement, team processes, and decisions made by the team.…

This final report describes the activities and outcomes of a service coordination outreach project designed to assist states in meeting their urgent needs for qualified and appropriately trained personnel to carry out their new roles as service coordinators in the provision and coordination of early intervention services as stipulated in federal…

Family MAASAI is a multiservice substance abuse prevention and intervention program for African American at-risk urban youth. The program commemorates the Maasai people of Africa and uses MAASAI as an acronym that stands for Maintaining African American Survival, Achievement, and Integrity. Cultural awareness, pride, and respect for self, elders,…

A study of science and math education systemic reform in rural schools aimed to help educators understand and build upon the inherent strengths of rural schools and communities that support systemic reform. The first phase of the study involved developing a system of indicators for each of six drivers of educational system reform: 1)…

Inspired by the gains in student achievement realized by the small schools movement in New York City, the Oakland Unified School District (California) has proposed creating a network of 10 new, small autonomous (NSA) schools over the next 3 years. School size will range between 250 and 500 students, depending on grade level. "Autonomous"…

This workbook was written to complement the training manual "Planning for Youth Success" (Dorfman and others, 2001). That manual outlines how family and community members can work with school staff and students to set standards for student success. This workbook lays a foundation for building partnerships to help facilitate that process. It is…

This report asserts that the the District of Columbia Public Schools (DCPS) are failing. The report claims that teacher incompetence, bureaucratic corruption, crumbling infrastructure, violence, lax academic standards, and wasteful spending are some of the many problems, and children attending the DCPS are not receiving a quality education.…

The Arlington Education and Employment Program (REEP) developed and field-tested the REEP Family Literacy Curriculum during the REEP Family English and Learning Project. The project was intended to help parents improve their English language skills and increase their involvement with their children's schooling. The curriculum was developed to…

This paper demonstrates how Taiwanese English-as-a-Second-Language (ESL) college teachers and students collaborate and negotiate to design various learner-centered activities based on the Chinese film, "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon." These activities are intended to enhance students' listening and speaking abilities. The paper…

Many countries throughout the world have developed programs to encourage parents to become more involved in their children's schools and education. In Turkey, the importance of parent involvement has been recognized only recently. The parental involvement program initiated in TED Ankara College in Ankara is Turkey's first Kindergarten and primary…