Discusses techniques that elementary school teachers can use to help students assess their own achievement. Suggests that writing checklists can be used to evaluate content, organization, grammar, and diction and that student self-assessments are also a useful part of parent-student-teacher conferences. (MDM)

Suggestions are offered to special educators for improving communication at parent-teacher conferences, including relationship skills such as demonstrating genuine caring, building rapport, listening, showing empathy, reflecting affect, and using clarifying statements. A checklist for self-monitoring in these areas is included. (DB)

Partnerships between teachers and parents provide benefits for children's education. Suggested methods by which teachers can establish communications with parents include telephone conferences, printed communications, encouragement of parental visits, developmental checklists sent home, parent-teacher conferences, home visits, and workshops for…

Answers parents' most common questions about alternative assessment. Discusses: why there is a need for change in the way students are evaluated; what alternative assessment is; how parents can recognize the components of an alternative assessment; when alternative assessment occurs; and how alternative assessment contributes to children's…