This report details studies by eight researchers from five countries--Australia, Chile, the Czech Republic, Portugal, and Spain--that examine boundary-crossing issues between teachers and parents, between policies and school reality, between cultures, and between research and practice. All of the studies were based in elementary schools and…

Noting the improvement in schools and education that occurs when parents, educators, and the community get involved, this "partners' activity kit" is intended to raise public awareness about what students in the schools need, and describes ways that anyone in the community can fill a role in improving education. Following an invitation…

No one denies that students have many more distractions today than in days gone by. The need for family involvement in a child's reading progress joins a surge in American society for parents to take more responsibility for their children's character and in the condition of their communities. Some hints for parents in establishing family literacy…

The social services component of Head Start links family, Head Start, and the community. This document addresses components of Head Start, providing Head Start staff who have social services responsibility with a guide to the provision of services to families. The chapters in the guide are: (1) "Overview of Head Start," including its…

This report describes the experiences of one California nonprofit agency which evolved, in less than 3 years, from supporting 65 people with autism and other challenging behaviors in 13 group homes to supporting 57 people who live in their own homes. The report describes the program's initial focus on providing integrated services in the group…

This training manual presents a family-centered approach to early childhood special education and demonstrates how a family-centered approach to intervention is an extension of a child-centered approach. The manual offers a "hands on" approach to building relationships between professionals and families that lead to effective intervention. The…

This report presents the outcomes of a policy forum convened to address issues of disciplining students with disabilities. Summaries of panel presentations are provided, focusing on legal and policy issues, school/interagency solutions/good practices, and family and community issues. Observations and recommendation of forum workgroups are also…

This paper reports on the design, purpose, implementation, and outcomes of a policy forum on disproportionate representation of students from minority ethnic/racial groups in special education. The purpose of this policy forum was to develop an action agenda for implementation of two recommendations assigned a high priority by a group of…

This booklet is designed to be used in developing a system of indicators of educational outcomes for 3-year-old children, including those with disabilities. The document summarizes a conceptual model of educational outcomes, lists specific outcomes for the early childhood level, and matches indicators with each of the outcomes. It then focuses on…

These three videotape recordings focus on provision of inclusive, family-centered programs for children with disabilities, birth through age 8. The first video is 14 minutes long and is titled "ICC Parents Share Their Stories." In it, four parents who serve on state interagency coordinating councils (ICCs) for early intervention share…

This theme issue of "Focal Point" offers an overview of a range of children's mental health case management issues. Articles include: "Case Management for Families and Children" (Theresa J. Early); "Expectations of Case Management for Children with Emotional Problems: Parent Perspectives" (Richard Donner and others);…

This publication provides information on the Alabama Transition Initiative for students with disabilities, including papers presented at two statewide transition conferences. Conference papers include: (1) "Pell City School System's Community Transition Team Model" (Deloris Frasier); (2) "Alabama's MH/MR Service Coordinators in…

Intended for use in training staff concerned with building bridges between the family learning environment and Head Start, this guide broadens the idea of "parents as teachers" beyond the instructional role parents play, by looking at the entire family learning environment. Following an introductory section, the guide presents four…

For many years, efforts to improve public schools centered on increased funding, teacher training, tougher curriculum (fewer electives, more math and science), and stiffer graduation requirements. But, from all of these attempts at reform, a basic concept became clear to the nation's educators: major reform of the public schools will not occur…

Highlighting the positive effects of parent involvement in schooling on children's achievement, this set of overhead-projector transparencies for staff training provides a rationale and strategies for encouraging parents to actively participate in their child's schooling. The overheads define family involvement, note research and opinion on the…