Faith communities can play an important role in communities by encouraging families to be involved in their children's learning and by forming partnerships that enhance the potential for family and community involvement in children's education. To support these efforts, this publication provides faith community leaders and members with ideas,…

Participant observation and intensive interviews of fifty people from a rural midwestern community provided information on the importance of women in women's organizations and in behind-the-scenes arenas of local politics and economics. Bringing women into community studies expands the concept of community into private, familial arenas where…

Summarizes four projects that attempt to use cultural resources for instruction, each in a unique way. Suggests that these projects serve as catalysts to challenge the status quo by creating conditions and activities for novel uses of literacy. Highlights the important mediating functions of literacy, especially in two languages, in helping…

Schools participating in the League of Schools Reaching Out, a national reform project, offer multiple examples of practices to increase family and community involvement. These numerous efforts exist without benefit of a clear, comprehensive, and supportive policy. Developing such a system must be a national priority. (SLD)

Experiences of parent-teacher action research teams established by eight schools that are members of the League of Schools Reaching Out illustrate that, given patience, hard work, supportive leadership, and informed facilitation, the two streams of parent and teacher empowerment can come together for academic achievement. (SLD)

The High School and Family Partnership Project began in 1991 with two urban, two suburban, and two rural high schools in Maryland to learn more about whether basic theories, frameworks, and practices of family, student, and community involvement are appropriate at the high school level; how schools can develop and implement such practices; and how…

This report presents a plan for improving the education of minority students in the United States. Section 1 is an introduction. Section 2 presents the goals for improvement of minority education by the year 2000. Section 3 discusses why the United States needs an educational system that works for all students. Section 4 discusses the minority…

This report summarizes the major points of a plan for improving the education of minority students in the United States. The following sections are included in this report: (1) "A Common Future"; (2) "A New Foundation"; (3) "Where We Start"; (4) "Our Goals for the Year 2000"; (5) "Recommended Strategies for Achieving Quality Education for…

This report presents a description of the Jackson, Michigan site of the Child and Family Resource Program (CFRP), Head Start-affiliated program designed to promote community and family involvement in fostering optimum development of preschool children. The Jackson site is one of 11 demonstration sites of the national CFRP. The local program was…

Current research reveals that schools, families, and communities need strong leadership if they are going to shift away from the traditional models of involvement in which school personnel dominate the interactions. When school leaders create conditions that foster collaborative relationships among the school, families, and the community, the…

The eight chapters of this theme issue report on studies from 12 countries that focus on the movement toward boundary crossing in education to involve families and communities in education. International studies further the understanding of the effects interventions have in promoting partnerships in education. (SLD)

Describes the Parent-Teacher Action Research Project, a multisite collaborative action research project involving eight schools that are part of the national reform network, the League of Schools Reaching Out. In project schools, teams of parents, teachers, and, in some cases, principals and students collaborate on family-school-community…

This article discusses the outcomes of a project that used a community development framework to implement change in early care and intervention services in two culturally diverse communities. It describes how community forums and parent leadership training assisted in change efforts and lessons learned from implementation and evaluating reforms.…

This position statement endorsed by the International Association for the Scientific Study of Intellectual Disabilities is designed to promote and facilitate research projects affecting and involving people with intellectual disabilities. The paucity of dedicated research infrastructure and expert ethical review processes to oversee research in…

This paper summarizes lessons learned from studies of preservice education and inservice programs of family and community involvement. The research and interventions suggest that a chain of professional development events is needed to prepare educators to conduct and sustain effective programs of school, family, and community partnerships. This…