Communication between home and school is good for kids. Keeping families up-to-date about upcoming events is important, but it's not enough to fully engage parents as partners. When schools and families really work together, that sets the stage for all kinds of benefits. The National Coalition for Parent Involvement in Education reports that…

Good two-way communication between families and schools is necessary for students' success. Not surprisingly, research shows that the more parents and teachers share relevant information with each other about a student, the better equipped both will be to help that student achieve academically. Opportunities for two-way communication include: (1)…

Many parents feel intimidated when talking with special education professionals. There is much in our society which encourages us to look at professionals and to accept what they say without question. However, that does not mean you should be intimidated. The discussion is about your child and you know your child better than anyone, giving you the…

The experience of the University of Southern Mississippi in sponsoring "The Parenting the Gifted Children Conference" is described. Discussed are needs assessment, conference format, selection of speakers, budget, public relations, conference evaluation, and physical facilities. Included are a sample evaluation form, a conference…

Tips to break the tension and make parent-teacher conferences productive are offered. A reproducible page with suggestions for parents entitled "How To Get the Most Out of Parent-Teacher Conferences" is included. (MT)

Presents tips to help parents prepare for effective parent- teacher conferences, including: starting off on the right foot by establishing rapport with the teacher, including the student in the meeting, addressing problems, and following up. A sidebar discusses questions parents should ask in the meeting to determine how their students are doing…

Discusses how teachers can communicate with parents and suggests aids for parent counseling. (CI)

This article discusses ideal roles for both parents and teachers in parent-teacher conferences. Parents should use a team approach, prepare questions for the teacher, and listen to what the teacher has to say. Teachers should prepare students for the conference, create a welcoming environment for parents, and plan a general outline for the…

This booklet contains ideas about how families can help children in school in the following basic ways by: (1) teaching their children; (2) learning new things to help their children learn; (3) supporting children and the school; and (4) making decisions about what and how children learn. For each of these areas, a chart is included so that…

Suggestions are offered for resolving conflicts between parents of gifted students and educators. Specific guidelines are offered for both parents and educators to facilitate an effective conference. Additional guidelines consider conflict styles, problem solving, and the "caring confrontation" technique. (DB)

Several suggested activities from the National Parent Teacher Association are suggested for involving parents in education. Categories discussed include: parents as participants in their children's education; parents as school volunteers and supporters; and parents as participants in decision making. (CB)

Parents and school staff usually agree upon issues regarding evaluation, eligibility, program, and placement of students with disabilities. However, there are times when disagreement occurs. Disagreements and conflict are often inevitable, but they need not produce negative results. Mediation in special education is a process to assist parents and…

This single-sheet eight panel brochure provides guidelines for parents on effective participation in meetings with school personnel to discuss their child's individualized education program (IEP). Included are an explanation of what the IEP contains; the settings in which it can be implemented; the non-academic, extracurricular, and supportive…

Tips for enhancing parent-teacher communications include volunteer, get to know the teacher, make an appointment before seeing the teacher, provide positive feedback, contact the teacher early with problems, suggest PTA-sponsored communications workshops, respect teachers' perspectives, express anger elsewhere, accept positive and negative…

The parent-teacher conference is a valuable strategy to improve a student's performance. This news brief offers suggestions for developing a "parent friendly" handbook to help parents effectively prepare for teacher-parent conferences. The handbook should include the basic information, a statement that emphasizes the importance of the conference,…