Describes a school district's efforts to make teachers, parents, and students more aware of the importance and fun of reading. (RL)

Community-based family support and educational programs provide services to families during pregnancy, infancy, and early childhood that are intended to improve family conditions, parental competence and behavior, and maternal and child health and development. Networks of social service agencies emphasize prevention and maintenance in reaching and…

This article identifies elements of effective collaborative programs and describes existing programs that are designed to enhance collaboration between schools and families of children with disabilities: Transparent School Model (in multiple states), Parent/Mentor Resource Project (Indiana), Parent Mentor Program (Ohio), Mentor Parent Program…

Discusses the growth of the Spanish-speaking population served by the North Central Regional Library System (Washington) and the library's response which has included improving Spanish language collections, encouraging staff to learn Spanish, developing bilingual programs for children and families, improving publicity, and using translators. (LRW)

Describes a Kellogg Family Collaborative project that involves the University of Montana and four tribal colleges in a family-strengths approach to improving student retention and achievement. States that the project is grounded in social work theory and research that recognize and reinforce family and student resilience through promotion of…

This paper describes Project Assist, a model for developing and implementing a flexible system of social support that can be individualized for families of infants/toddlers with disabilities. The model uses group support, individual support, and follow-up support to meet a variety of family needs and promote family adaptation. (JDD)

The preschool years ages 3 and 4 are extremely important for social, emotional, physical, and cognitive development. The purpose of this article is to discuss the importance of preschool to heighten awareness and inform administrators, educators, families, and policymakers about the value of preschool and in particular preschool literacy…

This article deals with the impact brought by the school shootings at Red Lake Indian Reservation in Minnesota to the school community. A deeply troubled 16-year-old student shot and killed seven other people and himself at a high school. The nation's deadliest school attack since the 1999 slayings at Colorado's suburban Columbine High School took…

Meaningful employment can have a significant impact on the lives of young adults with emotional and behavioral disorders (EBD). Unfortunately, too few adolescents with EBD experience successful employment outcomes upon leaving high school. In this article, the authors review components of secondary educational programming that may contribute to…

A successful transition from home or preschool to kindergarten is a key component of school readiness. Yet, quite often this major step in a child's life is neither planned nor well coordinated. Thoughtful planning for this transition, however, can have a positive impact on children, families, teachers, schools, and communities that last well…

This article describes how a preservice early childhood program collaborates with a local agency in a community engagement project. The project was implemented in a family-community partnership class for preservice teachers. There were three purposes for this project. First, to build a partnership between the University of Alaska Anchorage…

Family needs assessment is mandated within Head Start programs. Cen-Clear Child Services, Inc., a Head Start program in Pennsylvania, set out to evaluate and revise its approach to information-gathering and to involve families in the planning process using plans based on family strengths and designed to meet family goals. Based on a model designed…

The reason for studying the characteristics of a healthy family is to encourage and strengthen the family and to move toward an enriched family life by using the characteristics as bench marks. Six characteristics are discussed as the essence of a healthy family: (1) commitment; (2) togetherness; (3) appreciation; (4) good communication; (5)…

Parent involvement efforts distinguish the Holyoke Public Schools of Holyoke, Massachusetts. No other school system in the region offers as many varied opportunities for parents to have an impact on their children's school experience. The Parent Involvement Policy was developed with the help of a 15-member task force of parents in the summer of…

Intended to help school districts or schools trying to encourage the involvement of parents, this handbook presents ideas and suggestions gathered from local projects as well as a self-assessment manual and a guide describing helpful available materials. Part 1 contains recommendations concerning how to initiate and organize parental involvement…