Participants were drawn from the 1996 General Social Survey, which constructed a nationally representative sample of households to study social indicators in the United States. Findings summarized in this report reflect information collected from about two-thirds of parents identified in the earlier survey. During a 10-minute telephone interview,…

Discusses five strategies that can enhance the communication among parents and early childhood educators: (1) Keep parents well informed about what is happening in the classroom; (2) help parents to introduce themselves in the classroom; (3) create dialog in newsletters and bulletins; (4) post questions rather than reports; and (5) disseminate…

This study examined parent factors and teacher strategies fostering parent involvement and efficacy in a Canadian preschool intervention program in the Toronto area. Both English-as-a-second-language and English-speaking parent groups participated in school-based Parenting and Readiness Center programs with their 4-year-olds. Findings suggested…

A national survey of 502 general education teachers found that teachers perceived communication problems among teachers and parents as a serious impediment to the effective use of homework with mainstreamed students with learning disabilities. Problems included frequency and quality of communication with parents, role of the special education…

Creating partnership between special educators and parents who are Mexican American often poses unique challenges for all involved. Historically, the fact that these parents may not share mainstream values, traditions, and customs has often been perceived by special education teachers as part of the problem and not as valuable new sources of…

This qualitative study investigated mothers' views about their role in their children's education and their expectations of their child's preschool. A particular focus of the study was to contrast the views of mothers with differing degrees of parenting self-efficacy and to contrast the perceptions of working-class and middle-class mothers.…

A practicum was developed to improve the involvement of minority parents and low-income families in the education of their children. Subjects were 30 parents and 17 teachers and staff. A parent resource center was organized at a Head Start site in a public housing community where parents attended workshops and were provided with school and…

Looping is the practice of a teacher staying with the same group of students for two or more years. It may also be referred to as multiyear teaching, teacher rotation, multiyear placement, and a variety of other names. This thesis examines the experience and effects of looping in the elementary classroom. An overview is provided of historical and…

Teachers/parents of third- and fourth-grade students at four randomly selected Gary, Indiana, schools participated in a study of effects of age, occupation, race, and education on parent-school communication. Parents who were housewives, high school graduates, and/or 20- to 30-years-old were particularly satisfied with teacher-parent interaction.…

Through parents' accounts, this book provides information about the experience of having an autistic child in the family. It examines the nature of autism, the problems it presents, and the various ways that parents cope with the disorder. Chapter 1 discusses the experiences of families with autistic members and the sequence in which they were…

The New York City Board of Education's Family Living/Sex Education Program consisted of seminars and workshops which involved parents and teachers in open discussions about adolescent sexuality. Discussion topics included parent-child relations, family conflict resolution, psychosexual development, parents as educators, family size, and children…

Five families participating in the Vermont Rural Autism Project (VT-RAP) assessment process were interviewed. An overall theme of shifting attitudes emerged as well as 3 sub-themes: getting enrolled, becoming friends, and empowerment and transformation. All parents reported having a unique and meaningful experience of involvement in their child's…

This qualitative study examines how Hmong parents and professional staff at one elementary school perceive home-school relations and how they construct racial and ethnic identities of Hmong children. The study was conducted at a Midwestern elementary school where the Hmong student population is over 50% and where five Hmong staff members are…

This report reviews recent initiatives to improve family-school collaboration and communication. The six articles are: (1) "Schools, Families, and Students Get Stronger When Parents and Teachers Take Collaboration into Their Own Hands," which highlights parent-teacher action research projects at eight schools through eight case studies; (2)…