Reports of Japanese educational practices have overlooked the strong family-school bond and the significant role of the mother as educator. Interviews with non-Japanese mothers in Japan illustrate the differences in values, family systems, and gender roles make adoption of Japanese educational techniques unlikely and inappropriate for American…

Presents the findings of a survey of parents' experiences with different kinds of parent involvement. Views school and family relations from the parents' perspective and suggests that parents favor programs that stress cooperation between school and home. (DR)

Effects of training four urban high school principals in problem solving with adolescents and family members were assessed in simulation and naturalistic settings. Quality of problem solving exhibited was greater following training. Other principals indicated that the training program would be beneficial to themselves and other school…

Presents a transcontextual model for intervening with families of underachieving school children. Reviews the literature, and presents the model with specific guidelines for implementation. Results of a pilot study indicate an improvement of general school functioning and of grade point averages in 81.3 percent of those surveyed. (Author/MCF)

While recent reseach cites parent-school cooperation as beneficial, parent involvement in most high schools is minimal. To improve this situation, high school educators are invited to participate in a national study project emphasizing two-way communication, building relationships, joint planning and service activities, including parenting…

Follows up a study of a case in which three predominantly Chicano elementary schools in Santa Barbara, California, were closed due to declining enrollment. Investigates psychological maladjustment, academic decline, parental involvement decline, and adverse community impact. Concludes that the closure created a significant burden on a large…

Examined parents' and teachers' views of each others' competency through a Parent and Teacher Attitude Questionnaire completed by mothers (N=150), fathers (N=114), and teachers (N=127) of children in grades kindergarten through five. Results confirmed parent and teacher differences--each viewed their own group as more competent. (BH)

This report presents data on parents' and families' involvement in their children's education in the United States. The data are from the Parent and Family Involvement in Education Survey of the 2003 National Household Education Surveys Program (PFI-NHES:2003). The survey was completed by parents of over 12,000 children in kindergarten through…

School, parent and community partnerships have become an educational priority at both the state and federal levels. If teacher education programs are to meet the goals of the Illinois Professional Standards, the objectives of the federal Goals 2000, and the accreditation standards of the National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education…

Although the Family and Medical Leave Act enabled some parents to take unpaid parental leave in order to fulfill family responsibilities, it did not cover all workers and did not provide workers the financial support to do so. This policy report calls for Congress to: require states to allow new parents who have been working to collect…

Employers are feeling the strain of needing to offer alternative work arrangements to retain and recruit employees. Due to a change in demographics, dual-career couples and increased technology; people are demanding a transformation in the workplace environment. Two alternatives, which are being offered by employers, are flextime and…

This paper presents findings from a qualitative study exploring the family involvement process within the special education programs at one urban elementary school. Three families with elementary-age children diagnosed with disabilities are highlighted because they represent the "hard-to-reach" families in the United States. The families speak…

In the face of today's challenging social and family issues, many new efforts are underway to help children and families. One solution that many communities have adopted is the establishment of a collaborative partnership that involves all the relevant partners--home, school, and community--in the planning and monitoring of services for children.…

This paper presents a comprehensive framework for examining book use in early childhood settings, including the following dimensions: the book area; the amount of time provided for book reading; integration of books into the broader curriculum; the nature of the book reading events; and the nature of the home-school connection with respect to book…

This study examined relationships between schools' efforts to involve families in their children's education and student performance on standardized achievement tests in the Baltimore schools. Data gathered by the National Network of Partnership Schools was combined with those collected by the state for the mandated Maryland School Performance…