This Digest reviews some ideas and suggestions about parental involvement in middle school education, focusing on the language arts. The Digest reviews the research on how to increase parental involvement in middle schools and presents several programs already in use at various middle schools. The diverse programs outlined in the Digest feature…

This volume is the third in a series (developed in response to a needs assessment survey of special educators in Alberta, Canada) providing practical suggestions about instructional strategies, classroom management, preparing individual program plans, and understanding special needs. This volume presents a process for development of Individualized…

This paper focuses on the political economy of public education in depressed rural regions of the United States. The general hypothesis explored is that occupational composition of the community workforce and associated educational requirements for employment are significant elements of the sociopolitical environment for public education. Part I…

This paper describes the activities of the Youth for Justice programs nationwide. Youth for Justice is a unique national initiative that uses the power of active learning about the law to build upon the vitality of young people and to address the risks of being young in American society today. Youth for Justice involves young people in law-related…

This report presents the perspectives of three educators from historically black colleges and universities on the advancement of community service and service-learning in higher education. Each of the essays is introduced by a leader in the service-learning community. They include: (1) "Curriculum Transformation and Service Learning"…

The Training Ohio's Parents for Success (TOPS) program aims to increase parents' involvement in the education of their children and increase the linkages between home and school. This resource guide was developed to assist school districts in the process of providing materials and trainers to all school districts in Ohio. This resource guide is…

In an effort to meet all federal, state, and accreditation requirements, as well as accountability demands from business and industry, Iowa's Des Moines Area Community College (DMACC) developed a 3-year faculty-driven process to develop a plan for assessing student outcomes. The first step in the process was the formation of a 22-member faculty…

An examination of the literature on how parents reading with their children affects children's interest and ability in reading was informative. Especially useful were 3 articles--those of Scarbrorough, Dorbrich, and Hager (1991); Ridout (1992); and Martin (1993). The first article states that not all children follow in their parents' desire for…

A study examined how at-risk readers constructed meaning while reading, writing about, and discussing a full-length novel during Transactional Literature Discussions (TLD). Subjects were six fifth-grade students, four males and two females. Students chose the novel and participated in 15 group sessions of 45 minutes over 8 weeks. Scaffolded…

Three brochures for parents are presented. The first lists potential playground hazards and suggestions for improving playgrounds. The second describes benefits of the multiage classroom, comparing such a classroom with a traditional, single-grade class. The third brochure describes verbal, logical, visual, musical, and physical learning styles…

This collection provides a new perspective for understanding what assessment can do to promote continuous improvement in education. The concepts of systems thinking, continued learning, mental models, shared vision, and team building are highlighted in the selections, which include: (1) "A Systems Approach to Assessing School Culture"…

Homeless parents, like all parents, want their children to have a good education, and most are eager to help in any way they can. Some suggestions are offered for helping homeless parents become partners in their children's education. Parent concerns should be addressed directly. They should be assured that their children can learn, that schools…

Service-learning is a teaching strategy used by Texas middle schools that combines classroom learning with community activities and where both students and teachers plan activities and projects that meet a well defined school or community need. These activities strengthen academic learning by addressing learning objectives, allowing students to…

The more revolutionary, drastic education reform efforts are usually supported by new governmental legislation. This book offers three case studies of drastic reform carried out in Kentucky, Alberta, and Chicago. The reforms can be visualized in terms of how close they are to the alternative aims of expert guidance, social activism, and an…

Noting the important influence of a positive home-school relationship on children's academic achievement, this study explored some of the factors that can prevent parents from becoming involved in their child's school. A questionnaire consisting of 25 statements to be answered on a five-point Likert scale, and four open-ended questions was…