People tend to do things because that's how they have always done them or because that's the way others have done them. Schools are no different. The rigid factory model of education--a conveyor belt that moves children through a standard curriculum of books and lessons in a strict sequence--assumes that all brains are basically the same. They…

As we embrace the increasing numbers of young Mexican immigrant children and their families present in our schools, it is important for educators to better understand the many family educational practices present in these households. This article examines the strategies and resources utilized by two Mexican-born and two U.S.-born Mexican immigrant…

Culturally informed health interventions for linguistic minorities are crucial in promoting optimal child development. "Mi Bebé y Yo" is a primary care group for Spanish-speaking, Latina/o caregivers and their babies during their first year. Group visits occur in conjunction with well-baby checks and are designed to support families with…

This paper uses school choice policy as an example to demonstrate how local actors adopt, mediate, translate, and reformulate "choice" as neo-liberal rhetoric informing education reform. Complex processes exist between global policy about school choice and the local practice of school choice. Based on the theoretical sensibility of…

Parents as partners is a slight digression in title from the grace and courtesy theme of the journal, but it builds its argument around the concept of cooperative relations between the parents and the school. Sarah speaks of the perception of the teacher and parents as each being unique and particular to the life and personality of each child. The…

Professional educators--in the classroom, library, counseling center, or anywhere in between--share one overarching goal: ensuring all students receive the rich, well-rounded education they need to be productive, engaged citizens. This regular feature, explores the work of professional educators--their accomplishments and their challenges--so that…

This article draws on a doctoral study carried out across seven counties in England which focused on twelve parents' experiences of carrying out the role of a "suitable person" ("SP") by managing a direct payment for an adult child (living in her/his own home) who has severe learning disabilities, autism and very complex…

We describe a project focused on training parents to facilitate their treatment-resistant adolescent's treatment entry and to manage their child after entry into community-based treatment. Controlled studies show that Community Reinforcement and Family Training (CRAFT) is a unilateral treatment that fosters treatment entry of adults; however,…

A unique aspect of special education is the mandate for parent involvement. The Individuals with Disabilities Act of 1990 (IDEA) and its reauthorization in 2004 require professionals to involve parents of students with disabilities in the educational decision-making process. This article seeks to clarify reasons why materials produced through the…

This report contains the 2014-2015 evaluation report on the Home Instruction of Parents with Preschool Youngsters (HIPPY) Program. HIPPY is a school readiness program that helps parents prepare their preschool children for academic success. A total of 730 students and their parents participated in the Houston Independent School District (HISD)…

Strong relationships between parents and education professionals benefit all, especially children with disabilities. Parents of children with disabilities were integral to the development of special education, are their children's best advocate, and are the members of the Individual Education Plan team who know the child the best. As education…

In compliance with the Indian Education Act (NMSA1976 Section 22), the purpose of this Tribal Education Status Report (TESR) is to inform stakeholders of the New Mexico Public Education Department's (NMPED) and Local Education Agency's (LEAs) current initiatives specific to American Indian (AI) students and their educational progress. This report…

In response to the articles in this forum, the authors write that they were struck by the way most of the authors assumed that generations are stable entities characterized by readily identifiable factors, such as age, attitudes or circumstances. Following a constitutive philosophy of communication and instruction (Fassett & Warren, 2007;…

Parental beliefs and experiences regarding involvement in speech intervention for their child with mild to moderate speech sound disorder (SSD) were explored using multiple, sequential interviews conducted during a course of treatment. Twenty-one interviews were conducted with seven parents of six children with SSD: (1) after their child's initial…

Achieving broad-scale parent engagement with school initiatives has proven elusive. This article reports survey data from 287 Maltese parents about their perceptions of the quality of their child's school's initiatives for promoting students' wellbeing and mental health. Findings indicate that, on average, parents rated school initiatives highly.…