A kindergarten teacher used portfolio assessment with her students. After researching portfolios, she compiled a list of components for her classes and began the school year. She found that students were enthusiastic about portfolios, parents felt portfolios told more than report cards, and she could better see student growth. (Author/SM)

A Wisconsin law has been enacted to ensure adequate educational programming for children with exceptional educational needs. Multidisciplinary teams (M-Team) are mandated to carry out the requirements of this legislation. One function of the M-Team is that of parental consultation. According to the law, parents must be notified that their children…

This report provides standard facts and figures about the Houston Independent School District's (HISD) finances, student populations, achievements, and more. HISD has humanized that data, as well, with vignettes and profiles that typify the remarkable programs and individuals in the district. One of the three drivers to achieve the vision of…

In this article, the authors present parent-educator conversations, which were selected to illustrate common communication patterns and provide links to some of the Division for Early Childhood of the Council for Exceptional Children's recommended practices for communicating and collaborating with parents. Using conversation analysis, researchers…

Parents of today's college students bring unique experiences to the academic journey. They support extended parenting into the college years, demonstrate commitment and knowledge as prevention specialists with regards to their son or daughter's safety, and value the opportunity for partnerships to be developed with the institution of their child's…

Presents six workshop sessions on parent conferences: (1) "Parents' Perspectives on Conferencing" (R. Duffy); (2) "Three Way Conferences" (G. Zeller); (3) "Conferencing with Parents of Infants" (K. Albrecht); (4) "Conferencing with Parents of School-Agers" (L. G. Miller); (5) "Cross Cultural Conferences" (J. Gonzalez-Mena); and (6) "Working with…

Describes a series of seminars and observations designed to assist middle school teachers in developing effective classroom management strategies and skills for communicating with parents. Describes the format and consultation techniques used in the program. (RC)

President Obama has a cradle-to-career plan to reform the nation's schools. He also is calling on parents to take responsibility for their child's success. His vision includes the belief that all children can and will succeed, and that parents are the bridge to this success. Parents, guardians and caregivers can help children by connecting with…

Meetings that are difficult for parents may occur in many contexts (e.g., report card conferences, prereferral intervention teams, special education eligibility teams), and may produce powerful emotions. Some may even include lawyers or advocates with tape-recorded proceedings, resulting in defensiveness on the part of both parents and educators.…

This article describes how parent communication across an urban school district was improved through student-led, teacher-supported conferences. According to "This We Believe," student-led, teacher-supported conferences empower young adolescents to accept responsibility for their own learning. Such conferences invite parents into the…

Schools of education struggle to provide future teachers with opportunities to engage in and practice parent-teacher conferences. This manuscript addresses the diffusion of a signature pedagogy from medical education to teacher education, specifically highlighting the design and implementation considerations surrounding simulated parent-teacher…

Survival Guide for the Beginning Speech-Language Pathologist, Second Edition will guide you when taking your first clinical steps toward a career as a speech-language pathologist. Graduate and undergraduate students, as well as beginning therapists, will find this book useful and easy-to-understand. It provides realistic, practical, and…

Describes a program where school counselors go to parents instead of waiting for parents to come to them. Outlines program development, the importance of employer cooperation, program successes and challenges, such as increased communication between employee-parents and school counselors, and the considerable time commitment the program requires.…

Family members are a child's first and most important teachers. A growing body of research demonstrates that when families are actively engaged in their child's learning, children are better prepared for school and achieve at higher levels. Increased participation by families in pre-kindergarten programs has also been linked to greater academic…

Student-led parent-teacher conferences help young children make sense of what hey know and what they need to learn at school. Just ask them! For the past two years, the kindergarten children at Seymour Elementary School in Ralston, Nebraska, have used PowerPoint to tell their parents how they are doing in school, and the conferences have been a…