This issue brief discusses the most recent and reliable research on early care and education and its implications for policy making. The brief summarizes recent discoveries about early brain development and then reviews research evaluating: (1) child care; (2) small-scale model early education programs providing enriched services to disadvantaged…

This Colorado manual offers guidelines for parent counseling and training, which is seen as a special education related service to assist parents of students with disabilities in the development and implementation of the child's Individualized Education Program (IEP). The introduction addresses the purpose and benefits of parent counseling and…

This Spanish language information brief describes the Parent to Parent Program, which provides information and one-to-one emotional support to parents of children with special needs. The program trains experienced parents in the program and matches them with similar parents new to the program. Benefits of the program include: (1) providing parents…

Taking students from emergent to elaborative writers, this book shows teachers how to conduct a daily writing workshop, manage the writing process, and teach the expository and narrative writing techniques primary-grade students will need to become fluent writers. It includes advice on setting up the classroom; scheduling and organizing the…

Based on a national data set, a study investigated the factors that influence parents' decision to choose schools for their children. The data for the study were extracted from the public-release data file from the School Safety and Discipline (SS&D) component of the 1993 National Household Education Survey. Parents with children in 3rd through…

Designed for parents of students with disabilities living in Oregon, this brochure describes the general mediation process that parents can use to resolve special education services disputes with schools. It begins by discussing what mediation is and the characteristics of a trained mediator. It addresses the requirement for making mediation…

This paper describes strategies for developing drug abuse prevention programs in rural communities, based on available evidence about factors contributing to drug abuse. Comprehensive interventions to prevent drug abuse and other youth problems are needed because drug abuse is entwined with other problem behaviors and stems from a complex set of…

Noting that specialized educational programs for teen parents should address the teen parents' needs for knowledge about self-development, pregnancy, parenting, and economic independence as well as problem solving and interpersonal skills, this series of guides for school-age parents and the parent educators working with such teens provides a…

The Resource Families project experiments with new ways of meeting information, support, and assistance needs of Italian families with infants and defines new directions and procedures to inform the development of regional social policies in Italy. The project, funded through the Bernard van Leer Foundation and managed by ISPES (Instituto per la…

Describes use of a layperson's library to provide books for parents to help them learn new concepts and methods for interacting with their children, as well as providing reading-readiness skill development. Discusses how this library can be a catalyst for promoting teacher counselor collaboration and counselor parent relationships. (RC)

Describes a program in Colombia to enhance learning of lower class children by emphasizing acceptance, risk taking, and problem solving in a supportive environment. Parental involvement is stressed. The back-to-the-basics movement is discussed as an educational strategy antithetical to the author's philosophy. (DB)

Describes a format used in 13 parenting groups for White parents of Black children. The purpose of these groups was to help the parents to raise their children with strong, positive Black identities and self-concepts. The purpose, goals, issues of the parents, and the format are outlined. (Author)

Describes a district-wide parent training program which can relieve some of the need for individual counseling as well as promote cooperation between home and school. Counselors need to be trained to work with small groups and to use modular training packages. (Author/JAC)

Parents were equally effective in modifying their childrens' negative behaviors regardless of method: individual in-home; individual in-office; or group in-office. Although operations costs favored group delivery, the more comprehensive opportunity and client costs favored individual in-home delivery. (CP)

Argues that parental licensing is the wrong approach to the serious dysfunctional aspect of contemporary American life of single parent families. The nation, instead, should adequately address the poverty, crime, unequal educational opportunities, and drug problems that already exist. (GR)