Discusses how all children need the kind of hope that stories can give them. Suggests that educators and writers have been given the responsibility for nourishing the spiritual and intellectual lives of children. Describes the author's life growing up in a difficult time and how literature gave her hope as a child. (SC)

Uses data from a national survey of U. S. high school seniors to investigate the relationship of religious perceptions and behavior to several school, career' and leisure variables. Seniors' positive perceptions of religion and frequent attendance at religious services were related to positive parental involvement, positive school attitudes and…

States a review of articles on the Chicago study helps refocus attention on the idea that relationships are the basis for learning. Notes that children want to learn from and imitate important adults in their lives. Articles suggest that getting teachers to see and nurture every student's potential, plus promoting parent involvement, seems to be…

Study examines the effects of adolescents' vocational and relationship experiences, adherence to non-traditional values, and parental divorce and involvement on adolescent soft drug use. Results reveal that vocational and relationship experiences in adolescence correlate with the use of soft drugs and adherence to non-conventional norms and values…

Presents information on a project emphasizing the importance of parental understanding and support in implementing change by creating a program for building parents' understanding of mathematics and assessment that would enable them to make informed decisions about their children's instructional progress. (ASK)

Summarizes results for parents of the original evaluation and the follow-up of Family Literacy Demonstration Programmes at four sites in Wales and England. Finds that parents benefited in employment, study, qualifications, literacy, and ability to help their children, and involvement with their children's schools. (RS)

Explores families' engagement with their children's science and technology learning at home over a 6-month period, and illuminates both the nature and the educational significance of what families do. Indicates that families are engaged with children's inquiries at home in many ways such as providing resources, conversing, and investigating…

Compares sample of male adolescents (n=36) in relation to their personal development, family characteristics, and types of offense they committed, including those (n=16) with a history of sexual abuse who had offended against children. The most important difference between the two groups was the more frequent absence of the parents of adolescents…

Examined barriers to participation of Southeast Asian families in their children's education. Data from community focus groups, writings from a career ladder project, and a summer academy indicated that Southeast Asians had insufficient knowledge of the American educational system. There were low expectations for Southeast Asians and insufficient…

Reports on trends in adolescent sexual health, the relation between parenting and adolescent sexual outcomes, and adolescent sexuality interventions. Discusses parenting efforts related to adolescent sexual behavior. Examines adolescent sexuality programs with a parent component. Review of 19 programs supports the incorporation of theory and the…

An effective career planning program involves collaboration among schools, families, businesses, industries, and community. All stakeholders work together to design a program that will help each student establish and achieve goals through ongoing career planning. (SK)

Explores a semi-formal intervention in the public learning and understanding of science (PLUS) by involving school children and their family adults in project work in astronomy. Considers outcomes at three levels: general evaluative comments, gains for the family teams involved, and gains in the general public understanding of science. (Contains…

A survey of 72 inner London local education authorities found that 55% had functioning parent organizations, 5 lapsed ones, and 28 no organizations. Their main functions were fundraising and social activities. The formality or informality of parent organizations reflected schools' attitudes about parent involvement. Official, statutory status…

Studied the effects of parental involvement on students' academic growth during high school using data from the National Education Longitudinal Study of 1988 with latent growth curve analysis in the framework of structural equation modeling. Discusses the ways in which parental involvement was found to be multidimensional. (SLD)

Investigated the participation of rural Mexican American parents in their children's elementary schools. Interviews with Mexican and Anglo American parents indicated that both groups considered their participation in their children's education very important, though the two groups had different worldviews and backgrounds, different types of school…