Parents face many concerns in raising their children today, none more profound than their children's education. This book provides a "road map" for parents to take a proactive and central role in their children's learning. The book's prologue notes that effective leadership is crucial to pupil learning, and provides an introductory sketch of this essential ingredient. The first part of the book explores elements of an effective classroom. This part describes classroom practices that must prevail to maximize a child's learning, including the identification of: (1) learning objectives; (2) communication; (3) time on task; (4) monitoring and feedback; (5) pupil participation; (6) homework; (7) knowledge of subject matter; and (8) teacher expectations. Part 2 emphasizes school building and district-wide concerns. First, leadership is discussed in detail, then the school environment, program, and assessment are addressed. Numerous examples, graphs, charts, and checklists supplement the text. (HTH)