Starting from the premise that children learn better when their learning community respects their families and cultures, this thought-provoking resource shows what it means--and what it takes--to include today's diverse parents in their children's learning. Moving readers away from out-of-date practices that can potentially marginalize and devalue…

Academically gifted girls often see unrealized and unfulfilled potential as a result of societal pressures to make the choice between being smart and fitting in. Gifted girls face many social issues in their lives that impact their education and interests from a young age. Gender stereotypes may be perpetuated by teachers, who have been shown to…

Public reporting makes data about schools and districts--including enrollment, student performance, teacher effectiveness, and more--available to the public. These data never include information that could be used to identify individuals and are critical to meeting the information needs of parents, educators, administrators, policymakers, and…

Raising a child has its frustrating moments; parenting a child with special needs multiplies those times, and parents often experience high levels of stress and frustration. In this article, the authors explore the challenges of parenting a child with special needs and the trials and errors of finding appropriate skills to assist in their…

Stacy Kane Greenzeig knows that being the parent of a child with special needs is a difficult, time consuming, emotionally draining, and a selfless job. As the mother of a son with disabilities, she has faced the challenges first hand and learned quickly that researching treatments, visiting doctors' offices, and working to help her child in any…

Foster parents face many challenges in caring for children in foster care. Perhaps the major challenge is to achieve a caring environment for children who have experienced trauma and much change. Thus, this article provides ideas and strategies for nurturing foster parents toward a caring relationship with their children.

Special education professionals can play a critical role in enhancing the quality of life not only for a child with a disability but also for that child's entire family. To realize this beneficial impact on the child's family, professionals must operate with these assumptions: (1) Special education professionals must acknowledge that they have a…

This book asserts that bullying is the basis of many life problems for children, particularly low self-esteem, abuse, and violence. This book's program aims to provide an understanding of the dynamics of bullying and to empower children to recognize and deal with bullies at a young age in order to alleviate the possible development of problems…

Shared leadership is a process empowering parents to exercise their civil rights, build leadership skills, and guide the design of policy positions and programs meant to improve their lives and the well-being of their children. Based on principles of family support practice, this book describes how to plan and host a 1- to 3-day shared leadership…

Parents must help their children understand the meaning of good decision making. Children who are accustomed to making all the decisions grow up with no understanding of legitimate authority. Understanding appropriate ways to handle issues of empowerment, authority, and age-appropriate decision making are relevant to children of all ages. A…

This booklet is designed for parents of school-aged children to introduce the concept and benefits of "No Child Left Behind" ("NCLB") legislation. Calling for a highly qualified teacher in the core subjects in every classroom, the goals of "NCLB" are centered in four principles: (1) holding schools accountable for…

This guide is intended to be a resource for parents of children with special needs who want to improve the early intervention system in North Carolina for their own children and for the whole community. By informing parents about resources that are available for children and families, the guide empowers parents as leaders. Annotated lists of…

Through a case study of one gifted child, this article explores the themes of being in charge of oneself and one's environment, and of attempting to assimilate dangers in the world around them. Efforts to cope with and understand danger, from natural disaster to daily life, are closely examined. (PB)

Designed as a "Participant's Manual" to be used as part of a "Chemical and Mercury Management in Schools Training," this document focuses on the policies and programs needed at the school and district level for safe and sustainable chemical and mercury management practices. This document is designed primarily for school…

Children with disabilities receive most of their support from families. While most family caregivers are mothers or fathers, grandparents are increasingly providing care for children with disabilities. In addition, family caregivers come from diverse cultural backgrounds that impact their views on disability. This paper reviews the literature on…