Offers suggestions for conducting an effective parent-teacher conference and using the information gained for the benefit of children. Suggestions are aimed at reducing anxiety and confusion on the part of parents and teachers and creating a working relationship that contributes to both parents' and children's development. (BB)

Counsel on ways to overcome communications blocks. (Editor)

Describes challenges of school-initiated family involvement, including ambiguous definitions of family involvement and diversity of backgrounds. Provides guiding "themes" for involvement philosophies and interactions. Examines how three types of family professionals can work with schools to strengthen family involvement: teacher training…

Discusses questions dealing with children's learning to read and write; children's drawing; encouragement, correction, and interpretation of children's writing; and writing programs. Suggests that parents and teachers can promote children's writing by creating an environment for children that develops confidence and by understanding the processes…

Discusses and critiques both formal and informal parental involvement in education decision making in Denmark's primary and lower secondary schools. Describes the educational and political trends that have led to an emphasis on decentralized decision making and home-school cooperation in the Danish Education System. Considers a model of joint…

Suggests that teachers can share information with parents about multiple intelligences and encourage parents to provide activities to nurture their child's own intelligences. Provides teachers with instructional strategies and parents with activities related to linguistic, logical-mathematical, spatial, musical, bodily-kinesthetic, interpersonal,…

Describes the cooperative efforts of corporations, foundations, organizations, institutions of higher learning, and community support that transformed a church into one of the first charter schools in the state of New York. Describes the process, offerings, and continuing challenges of the King Center and asserts that it is a model of…

During the King Center Charter School's five years of existence, the school has evolved into a unique 21st century laboratory school, soliciting meaningful parental involvement to help close the achievement gap for the students. As indicated, students' academic achievement and social/ emotional competency have increased over the years. This…

In an effort to prepare future educators to function effectively through interdependence in the global community, teacher education programs provide students and faculty members with experiences that foster the development of intercultural understanding. This article reports on an international educational partnership developed by the senior…

The primary lesson to be learned by teachers from parents is that the teacher's role is to provide service to the parents rather than expert" translation of middle-class social wisdom into universal child-rearing practice. (Author)

Notes that educators' expectations of parents originate from various sources, including their personal backgrounds and experiences, professional literature, other educators, the media, and children. Suggests teachers may examine assumptions and biases about parents and find ways to broaden the definition of parent involvement. Presents suggestions…

Recent education literature underscores the need to prepare teachers who are culturally sensitive and responsive in order to work in the diverse classrooms of the 21st century. Changing demographics and increasing immigration are bringing a new complexity to the cultural diversity within regions and local communities. A school-university…

Maintains that child development knowledge is important in providing a strong basis for teachers' decision-making processes. Discusses how teachers must consider all aspects of development--physical, social/emotional, and intellectual--in making classroom decisions, as well as decisions concerning parental involvement and the use of community…

Discusses some of the broader cultural influences that precede (and go beyond) ethnic influences in children's behaviors and attitudes and teachers' interpretations of them. Those influences that affect students' as well as teachers' behaviors and attitudes include perpetuation of the conflicting values of individualism and cooperation, locale,…