L'Anse Creuse Public Schools in Mt. Clemens, Michigan, invite parents to participate in curriculum study committees. (MLF)

Describes a nontraditional approach to reporting student progress via narrative report cards. The teacher-developed form used by three Tuscaloosa, Alabama, elementary schools is practically blank, allowing teachers to put student information into list or paragraph formats at nine-week intervals. Success depends on keeping communication and…

Describes how a parent, in cooperation with other volunteers, organized a writing center on a high school campus. Explains how they secured funding, found a room out of which to operate, and worked their way into the culture of the high school. Outlines the development of the writing center over its first four years. (TB)

Describes the development and implementation of a metaphorical (nonenforceable) family contract that sets forth parental responsibilities for assisting the public schools in the education of their children. Contract involves the home environment, use of the out-of-school time, and parent involvement with schooling. Discusses issues related to the…

Analyzes literacy events co-constructed by three bilingual, mainland Puerto Rican kindergarteners and the network of adults and children in their homes who support their developing literacy. Reveals and gives value to some of the many literacies in the children's lives and communicates a respectful approach to the study of literacy in families…

Discusses why parent involvement is important for student achievement. Provides several recommendations for the implementation of an effective parent involvement program in schools, including early and ongoing assessment of program effectiveness. (Contains 34 references.)(PKP)

Examines the effectiveness of a paired reading intervention using curriculum-based measurement (CBM) probes to document student reading progress. Parents and children used the paired reading method in their homes for 10 minutes, four times a week. Results showed that the children's reading accuracy and rates increased from baseline to follow-up on…

Surveyed urban elementary school principals and conducted case studies at high-mobility schools, examining how schools with higher mobility levels attempted to build community. Schools with high mobility levels implemented many programs and practices to help families, such as access to counseling services and adult education classes as well as…

Describes a study of an Indiana magnet school's effects on student achievement. The school has a diverse student body and offers programs in foreign languages and cultures, economics, politics, history, ecology, and social systems. On the Comprehensive Test of Basic Skills, the group of 560 students performed significantly better than they had…

Investigates the attitudes and expectations of parents of sixth-grade students concerning science education in the elementary school. Discusses parents' responses with regard to the role of science education, time allotted for science, comparisons with other subjects, helping children with science homework, important topics, and views of science.…

Teachers can successfully involve parents in their children's education by creating a welcoming school climate, establishing clear policies and procedures for parent involvement, ensuring administrative support, and having a plan. Effective staff development prepares teachers for parental involvement. (JOW)

Suggests that the changing nature of education requires that professional preparation programs provide more extensive parent involvement experiences. Discusses four thematic areas: (1) ways that families can contribute; (2) recognition of the expertise that families provide; (3) exploration of strategies that offer families meaningful involvement;…

Examines the recently introduced phenomenon of parental report cards. Asserts that increased parent involvement in education is universally applauded as beneficial. Educators and schools have encouraged, but never required, greater parent participation for years. Although the time has not yet come for compulsory participation and/or actual report…

Describes a school district's development and use of a guide to inform parents about the district's efforts to align its mathematics curriculum with the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics' (NCTM) Standards. (Author)

Examines two elementary school site decision-making bodies (one mandated, the other voluntary) from a critical-theory perspective, using a multiple case-study format. Finds little relative difference between mandated and voluntary sites. Concludes that involving parents in school-site decision-making is an ineffective school-improvement strategy.…