Forming a genuine partnership with parents from across the social spectrum is one of the challenges facing schools. The development of a "family room"--a basic meeting place and playroom with comfortable furniture, toys, a tea kettle, and other equipment for families--became a collaborative adventure shared by parents, staff, and a local…

Following mention of the literature and pioneers in the field of at-risk family involvement in education, this document discusses the history of the term "at risk" and its use, identification of children at risk, and the two major risk factors: poverty and minority status. The important connections and assets missing from the at-risk child's world…

Based primarily on data collected on a sample of nearly 700 public school teachers, a study critically examined several key issues in the field of teacher burnout, coming to the conclusions that: (1) Teacher stress and teacher burnout are distinct and separate concepts; (2) The problem of teacher burnout has reached serious proportions; (3)…

The involvement of 61 at-risk parents in a teacher-parent partnership project which was implemented among families of kindergarteners and first graders in three poor, rural school districts in South Carolina was assessed. Core questions were: (1) What are the parents' participation levels and patterns of home and school learning? (2) What is the…

A review of research data focused on the effects of parental involvement on children's reading achievement and ways in which parents can help promote children's reading achievement. The review included 35 studies (which are briefly summarized) of (1) parents' attitudes about their involvement in their child's education, (2) the positive effects of…

North Carolina created the State Migrant Parent Advisory Committee (PAC) in response to federal regulations regarding the establishment, membership, and function of PACs at the state and local level, and in order to consider the views of migrant parents regarding the planning, operation, and evaluation of the migrant education program. State and…

This paper contains the three sets of interviews (the Children's Interview, the Parent's Interview, and the Teacher's Interview) used to describe and evaluate the classroom learning environments in the New School's Center for Teaching and Learning (CTL) during 1971-72. The purpose of these interviews is to systematically study variations in the…

Serving as a vehicle for raising the profile of and thereby gaining recognition for the important research and development work being conducted in Canada in support of children and families, the "Research Connections Canada" series compiles research and/or development papers as well as background papers, analytical literature reviews,…

The eighth in a series of studies investigating the educational context and outcomes for high school students with disabilities (SWDs), this study examined parents' perceptions of the educational program of their children with disabilities. Ten parents of students with disabilities participated in focus groups and provided their ideas and opinions…

This paper presents the beliefs of Israeli residents of Oriental (North African or Middle Eastern) origin regarding children who are mentally retarded. Based on written materials and interviews with 40 mothers, the paper discusses beliefs about mental retardation's causes, blame, treatment, and recovery. Methods of dealing with parents of pupils…

Presents criteria of good child care as revealed by international research studies of child care settings. Criteria discussed include: class size, teacher/child ratio, size and equipment of the classroom, teacher behavior, parent cooperation, and teacher qualifications. Also discusses whether such criteria are shared by teachers and parents. (TJQ)

Parents and teachers share concerns about appropriate early childhood educational practices, but often differ on what methods best serve the children. Differences in opinion can result in strained relationships between the home and school, and make fulfilling the basic educational needs of the child more difficult. This study explores the age-old…

Noting the important influence of a positive home-school relationship on children's academic achievement, this study explored some of the factors that can prevent parents from becoming involved in their child's school. A questionnaire consisting of 25 statements to be answered on a five-point Likert scale, and four open-ended questions was…

Parent involvement is considered one of the most powerful means for improving schools and for increasing the satisfaction of parents and the community. However, barriers of time, schedules, and resources have put limits on effective parent involvement. To address these problems, telecommunications technology has been applied to increase…

This publication discusses issues of parent-teacher partnerships that affect children's development. An introductory chapter suggests that the central figures in fostering the development of a child's potential are the significant adults in the child's world. Chapter 2 considers family relationships as prototypes for later partnerships, and lists…