In 1997, the Connecticut State Department of Education awarded a grant Western Michigan University to evaluate Connecticut's charter schools and charter school initiative from 1997-2002. The study used existing databases, site visits, focus groups, and surveys to gather data regarding the movement's effectiveness, progress, and impact, examining…

In this book, several Hoover Institution scholars search for the answers to failures in U.S. schools and examine the debate over what works and what does not work. Such widely debated topics as national examinations, accountability, performance, and school funding are discussed. The importance of education to both the individual and society as a…

Based on the view that parents should participate in key decisions about their children's schooling, this booklet, in English and Spanish versions, provides advice and suggestions for parents on ways to be involved in their children's education. The booklet begins with a letter addressed to parents, outlining possible parental roles in their…

This book provides specific guidelines that for developing comprehensive home-school partnerships. It is designed for use by school counselors. Practical guidance is offered on how to persuade colleagues that parent outreach is vital to student success; initiate positive contacts and smooth interactions with parents; understand different types of…

This paper describes a program designed to increase students' social skill development in order to improve positive peer interactions. The target population was elementary school students in one middle-to-upper class, rural community in central Illinois. Evidence for the existence of the problem of inappropriate social behaviors that interfere…

This second edition of the "Parent's Guide to the Internet" is intended to help parents--regardless of their level of technological know-how--make use of the online world as an important educational tool. This booklet provides parents with basic information about how to use the computer to find information and communicate with others. It describes…

This publication is a guide to assist librarians in taking a proactive stance to include families of children with special needs in programs and services. The focus is on families with children up to age five, and covers the basic principles underlying inclusion, family-centered service, resource-based practice, and the provision of library…

This proceedings, containing 69 paper and poster presentations, focuses on innovation and hope with a glance to the future. The conference was planned to include theoretical discussions, current research findings, and promising practices based on sound evidence. Current issues in special education include the use of technology, integrating theory…

This book offers an in-depth study of an exemplary school for Native students, the Joe Duquette High School in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan (Canada). The school's successes and its uniqueness are based on the consistent and insistent commitment of all involved to a focus on Aboriginal spirituality within the school and the human relationships there.…

This document provides information about schools in Mexico and suggests ways that U.S. schools can use this information to improve education for Mexican and Mexican American students. Chapter 1 describes the Mexican educational system as a vantage point for understanding the expectations of Mexican parents in the United States. This chapter covers…

The Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction (OSPI) of the State of Washington recently published a literature review of 20 studies that examined the common characteristics of high-performing schools. These studies include several U.S. Department of Education studies. Their research found that high-performing schools tend to have a…

Volume II contains six appendices to Volume I, including short summaries of the 18 schools that were studied. Appendices included in this report are: (1) Evaluation Methodology; (2) Promising Reform Strategies; (3) Descriptions of the Research-Based Methods or Strategies Being Used; (4) Short Summaries of 18 Comprehensive School Reform…

Supportive school settings linking Native culture, history, and language with academic, social, and community programs, and educational experiences that integrate Native life into meaningful academic, social, and personal living skills programs should give Native students greater understanding of their own identity and more success in school and…

The development of 36 Down's syndrome infants and children (ages 3-35 months) who had been involved in an early intervention project for periods ranging between four months and two years was assessed. (Author/DLS)

Expands the parameters of "parental involvement" in educational research regarding its effect on academic achievement. Includes talking with children about school-related activities and helping with homework in the new definition. Integrating these findings challenges the belief that lower-income parents are less involved with their…