British legislation over the past decade has increased considerably the responsibilities of (lay) school governors, but there has been little research into their role in effecting school improvement. Reports on a seven-school pilot project designed to set parameters and criteria for more detailed and extensive study. Governors seem content to…

Presents general statistical findings of Internet use by children, discusses the recent Children's Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA), and summarizes online child safety considerations. Considers filtering and includes current resources for parents and children. (Author/LRW)

Discusses efforts leading to changes in homework policies and practices, problems experienced by students with disabilities, and how schools have addressed these issues. Focuses on home-school communication patterns as a key variable in improving the homework performance of students with disabilities. Reviews several studies that establish the…

Notes that when parents or guardians are closely involved in what is occurring at school, their children benefit. Considers the importance of how best to involve families in the educational process. Notes that home-school collaboration is necessary to accomplish more general, ongoing tasks, such as completing homework. Summarizes research and…

Describes how parental involvement is considered a remedy for many educational problems by educators. Conducts meta-analysis to synthesize the quantitative literature on the relationship between parental involvement and gifted development. Concludes that internal effects for gifted development have a stronger relationship than parents'…

Reports on data collected in interviews about the relationships between lesbian-parent families and their children's schools. The central focus is on themes and issues identified by parents as important in the lives of their families as they interacted with schools. These interactions provide information about successful and failed strategies to…

Highlights some of the activities involved in the celebration of Head Start's twenty-fifth anniversary. (BB)

Concerned about students' poor performance on national tests, one elementary school principal and her staff launched Project READ (Read Exciting Adventures Daily). The program allots 20 minutes daily for schoolwide reading and features home reading contracts, student participation awards, and theme weeks. For one event, the principal dons a…

School communications are becoming increasingly sensitive and complex. Although research identifies several purposes for communications, there is little agreement on a common definition or best methods to increase effectiveness. This article explores communication methods currently being used by South Carolina superintendents and implications of…

Parents of highly gifted children are offered advice from the work of Leta Hollingworth (1886-1939) concerning helping the child accept his/her differences, reconcile opposites, and do no harm. Parents need to appreciate their own differences and support appropriate educational programs. (DB)

Black parents' role and involvement in their children's college education need to be recognized, welcomed, and encouraged. The developmental needs of parents in general as well as culture-specific needs should be considered in developing strategies for minority parent involvement. (SK)

A survey of 2,956 teachers in 92 Illinois high schools found increasing amounts of assigned homework, discrepancies in assignments among curricular tracks, little variety in assignments, need for improved student responses, teacher diligence in reviewing homework, lack of coordination at district, school, and departmental levels, and lack of…

Discusses why strong parental involvement programs are difficult to implement. Suggests guidelines for beginning programs of parental involvement in reading curriculum. (MM)

Suggests that communication between teachers and parents and other community members is noticeably enhanced when the following indicators can be clearly observed among the communicators: warmth, empathy, respect, genuineness, listening, and concrete practicality. (MG)

Describes several projects designed to involve parents in their child's English education. (MM)