Studies indicate that information provided by students may contribute to successful implementation of educational innovations, but educators seldom seek out student perspectives. In April and May 1997, over 160 high school students participated in 16 focus groups in Kentucky, Tennessee, Virginia, and West Virginia. The students were primarily…

The purpose of this study was to investigate the roles parents play in students' learning of mathematics in the home setting and to examine the relationships between parental involvement and students' learning of mathematics. This study attempts to identify the kinds of parental roles which contribute to students' learning of mathematics. This…

This paper describes how one professional development elementary school in Detroit (Michigan) encouraged high levels of parent involvement. In 1993, school faculty joined with six universities to form a collaborative partnership. The group believed that all partners had an equal voice and that parents should participate in all meetings and groups.…

A study evaluated the Title 1 Reading Program that served 5,298 underachieving pupils in grades 1 through 8 in the Columbus, Ohio, public schools. The program provided service to 76 public elementary schools, 24 public middle schools, and 14 nonpublic schools. Program teachers provided small group instruction to strengthen reading skills in grades…

A study evaluated the Title 1 Reading Program that served 3,944 underachieving pupils in grades 1 through 8 in the Columbus, Ohio, public schools. The program provided service to 62 public elementary schools, 22 public middle schools, and 10 nonpublic schools. Program teachers provided small group instruction to strengthen reading skills in grades…

Designed for parents in Kentucky, this handbook describes the Kentucky primary program and provides information about how parents can work with schools during the transition from preschool to ensure that their children receive an appropriate education. Children with educational disabilities are served in a variety of ways in the primary program.…

The science education reform movement is difficult for parents to understand because the new constructivist paradigm is far afield from science education as parents experienced it themselves. Educators in a New England middle school developed a new science curriculum without inviting general parental input. The problem addressed by this study was…

Changes in the preschool education system are provided for by a new federal law in Portugal, Law 5/97, Law for Preschool Education. This law calls for a new role for the State that involves fewer direct services, less bureaucracy, more efficient supervision, and a greater regulating and compensating role. The law requires parents to participate in…

Formerly the West Virginia Education Fund, the Education Alliance is a nonprofit organization that serves as a catalyst for business and community involvement in West Virginia public schools. This annual report describes the following Education Alliance activities during 1997: (1) Mini-Grants for Classroom Projects (grants to 195 teachers of up to…

This document includes the Early Screening Inventory: Revised (ESI-R), a developmental screening instrument for 3- to 6-year-olds, and an examiner's manual. The inventory comprises two sample scoring sheets, one for preschool (ages 3-4) and one for kindergarten (ages 4-6), and a parent questionnaire. The inventory is intended to be individually…

Based on a weekly newspaper column intended to encourage parents to become involved in their children's education, this book provides encouragement and specific suggestions, in 16 chapters, for parents who want to help their children learn from everyday experiences. The chapters are: (1) "Who, Me? A Teacher?" (2) "Your Child's Self…

Research studies that have focused on identifying the characteristics or correlates of elementary and secondary schools that are unusually effective are reviewed, concentrating on the "effective schools" movement. Research on effective schools supports the conclusion that they rank high on certain characteristics frequently referred to as…

The U.S. Department of Education's Partnership for Family Involvement in Education encourages individuals, partner organizations, and alliances, whether they are members of the Partnership or not, to develop and implement effective family involvement practices in education. The goals of the Partnership are to increase opportunities for families to…

This collection of papers presents the most recent research on Title I federal compensatory education. Building on 35 years of research, development, and practical experience, the book presents evidence of various ways Title I can become a more effective program and instrument for school reform. The nine papers are: (1) "Title I: Its…

This report assesses where America's Great City Schools (GCS) were on the National Urban Education goals in 1996-97 and how they compared to where they were in 1990-91. The National Urban Education Goals address the unique and pressing needs of urban schools and provide an enabling set of targets on the way toward achieving national goals. This…