This article describes the collaborative journey of two elementary education instructors at a large metropolitan university in the Southeast Region of the United States as they transformed and developed an innovative, engaging, and meaningful assignment utilizing adult avatars in TeachLivE™ to simulate parent-teacher reading conferences. The…

Scholars have advocated for practice-based experiences, including high-leverage practices and metacognition, to be incorporated within preservice teacher programs, as they have the most pervasive impact on students' learning. One way in which teacher preparation programs have incorporated practice-based experiences is through the use of…

This report from the field presents a field-based program designed to prepare teachers to serve diverse children and families by emphasizing the "actual" practices that inform family-teacher partnerships. We argue that collaborative relationships across and among families and teachers can result in "mining gems" of knowledge…

This study documented how the teacher conducted one-on-one portfolio sharing conferences with the parents to help them understand their children's emergent writing performances. Data included the selection and analysis of children's writing samples, parent-teacher conferences, and teacher interviews. The results indicated that parents'…

The purpose of this study is to explore the impact of the delegation of financial authority to public primary schools through Parent-Teacher Councils (PTCs) on learning outcomes of primary school children in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) province, Pakistan. The learning outcomes were measured in three subject areas (Urdu, English, and Mathematics).…

Father involvement in education has been shown to result in a range of positive outcomes for typically developing children. However, the nature of paternal involvement in the education of children with disabilities and especially autism has been under-researched and is little understood. This study aimed to explore the nature of the involvement of…

This study investigated the efficacy of an intervention strategy designed to diminish the ambivalence parents experience when deciding to place a hyperactive child on stimulant medication. Results are discussed and interpreted to suggest the importance of health care professionals in the school. (Author/MT)

The principal of El Camino Real Elementary School describes six activities used to provide parenting education both at the school and at home. (SJL)

Presents information on a seminar called "Developing Mathematical Ideas" with the goal of piloting a new curriculum and charting a new path for parents, schools, and children in mathematics. Explores central issues in the development of constructive, thoughtful, and generative relationships between parents and school community through parents'…

This report evaluated the Harlem Parents School Community Program designed to provide individual tutorial assistance to 80 elementary school students who were two or more years below grade level in reading and mathematics. Tutoring sessions were held at a neighborhood center Monday through Thursday afternoons and evenings. Workshops and cultural…

Through naturalistic observational procedures, the study examined the dynamics of individualized education program (IEP) conferences involving parents of handicapped elementary grade students. Participants present, the nature and frequency of topics discussed, and the length of conferences were considered. (Author/SBH)

Parents, especially those responsible for exceptional children, will often attempt to change their belief system dissonance. This dissonance can be changed by altering cognitions, modifying behaviors, or by avoiding dissonance-increasing situations. By being aware of these potential reactions to the parent conference, counselors can better handle…

This manual for elementary school teachers provides guidelines for the use of progress report cards in the Long Beach Unified School District, California. Included in the manual are sections dealing with evaluation policy and procedures, descriptions of various progress report cards, interpretations of grades and symbols, instructions for filling…

Reports on a study of parent-teacher interaction, in which discussions and conferences between parents and teacher centered around literacy artifacts that children produced in school and at home. Suggests that the creation of home portfolios may provide a starting point for teachers and parents to discuss children's developing literacy. (TB)

Describes how an elementary teacher implements student-led parent conferences four times throughout the school year. At the first conference, students, teachers, and parents set goals. At the second and third, students share their portfolios with their parents and teachers. At the fourth, students demonstrate what they have learned to their…