These three brochures are short guides to show how parents, schools, and communities can support family involvement in education and help build a better educational environment. Noting that communities that support schools and families are better places to live, work, and learn, The "Join Together for Kids" brochure provides information…

This document provides an overview of a family literacy demonstration project conducted to offer family literacy classes in three public schools in Philadelphia. The project was designed to help adults meet their own needs and to enable them to support their children's learning. The whole-language, learner-centered approach was used. Background…

This monograph for teachers outlines reasons for working with parents. It presents a sampling of practical strategies that teachers can use to foster parent competence and responsibility in the education of their children. It also contains answers to some of teachers' questions about getting parents to visit the school and encouraging them to…

An active role is recommended for family members involved in rehabilitation of cognitive communicative impairments of head-injured individuals. The paper discusses family systems theory, dysfunctional family reactions to the cognitive communicative behaviors of the head-injured member, and methods of assisting the family to develop the…

Schools that students experience as safe and supportive will be more successful at promoting student achievement and developing qualities such as good character and citizenship. However, this commonsensible priority is sometimes slighted when other issues demand a school's attention. This guide identifies four core elements necessary to create and…

Maintaining that working with one's family to decide on purposes, visions, values, and a focus on the future will be a parent's most important leadership activity, these audiotapes and learning guide provide the tools for developing a family mission statement. Tape 1, side A introduces the urgency of a family mission statement, and provides an…

Parents of children with disabilities are frequently asked to tell all or part of their family's life story. These stories are potentially powerful ways to develop empathic relationships among parents and professionals. This document discusses ways parents can prepare and present their stories so that key themes are emphasized and the information…

This handbook, developed from the authors' experience working with parents and children in a family literacy program in Niagra Falls, Canada, presents ideas and activities that help family members work together to learn why reading and writing are important and how children learn about literacy. It provides parents with step-by-step instructions…

This guide suggests a fresh perspective for families and professionals working together to develop Individualized Education Programs (IEPs) for students with disabilities living in Maryland. It begins by explaining the purpose of IEPs and by providing the principles for IEP development in Maryland. Information is then provided on how the IEP is…

Describes a person-centered planning approach for involving students with disabilities and their families in the transition planning process. Components of person-centered planning are discussed, including development of a personal profile, identification of future lifestyle preferences, action steps and responsible parties, and necessary changes…

Middle school students need support in transitioning from childhood into adolescence, and a realignment of families, schools, and communities is important. The 1989 Carnegie Council Task Force report recommends re-engaging families and communities to help middle school students. The paper discusses how to enhance family and community involvement.…

Outlines a major literacy initiative for urban children taking place in the Dallas, Texas Public Schools. Describes several different programs at the school district level aimed at family and community outreach, in order to create a literacy-education support system with primary care givers in the homes. (SR)

This article explores some fundamental features that foster the development of collaborative relationships and collaborative communities, which in turn support the success of students with disabilities. Effective mechanisms are presented for accessing and improving collaborative support networks. Start-up problems that may arise in many schools…

One way to improve technology training for teachers is to use multimedia. This article defines multimedia, discusses the benefits and measurable outcomes of interactive multimedia training, and presents a case study of the DeKalb County (Atlanta, GA) School System's teacher training project and family technology resource centers, resulting in a…

This article presents recommendations to increase family involvement among culturally/linguistically diverse families of children with disabilities. Recommendations include using different communication approaches, providing alternative meeting sites, providing information and training to parents, and understanding family priorities, needs, and…