During the past several years, the topic of how to increase parent and family involvement in schools has been the subject of many research studies, articles, and speeches. It is likely that every school in the country devotes some portion of its annual plan to explaining how it will increase parent involvement. Yet as widely used as this term is,…

This article seeks to provide insights into the role of teacher beliefs about parent and family involvement in supporting or inhibiting parent and family participation in partnerships related to the well being of child and family. The authors aim to offer positive beliefs and strategies for developing nurturing relations between families and…

School leaders are increasingly called upon to pursue meaningful partnerships with families and community groups, yet many leaders are unprepared to meet the challenges of partnerships, to cross cultural boundaries, or to be accountable to the community. Alliances are needed among educators, families, and community groups that value relationship…

Culture differences within parent communities provide challenges for schools trying to develop a successful parental involvement policy. In this study, we explore schools' practices and policies with respect to parental involvement. This study was carried out at four elementary schools in the Netherlands. Interviews were conducted with the…

This paper estimates the number of American children in grades K-12 who live without their biological fathers and examines the association of absent-father status with children's well-being. The 2003 Parent and Family Involvement in Education Survey of the National Household Education Surveys Program (n = 12,426) shows that 28% percent of White…

The parent-school relationship for families of students with disabilities is clearly prescribed by law and is one of the main tenets of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), 2004 (Newman, Cameto, & Hernandez, 2005). The measurement of this relationship presents a challenge in the context of what is meaningful participation,…

Purpose: The objective of this study is to develop an instrument to evaluate satisfaction with care for older adults in capitated environments. Although satisfaction with care is now widely accepted as an important outcome measure, there are relatively few satisfaction measures developed or validated on older persons. Because many older persons…

Situating parental involvement in education within a sociohistorical context, this case study of a Nicaraguan immigrant household in California contrasts the perspectives of two sisters-in-law who shared a home and whose daughters attended the same urban elementary school. Although the two women were involved in their daughters' schooling in…

Discusses concerns that American education is faced with many important challenges such as literacy, safety, discipline, and standards. Points out that family involvement is a critical link to student performance. Introduces the Read*Write*Now! and the America Goes Back to School programs which promote intergenerational and community…

This report uses data from the 2003 National Household Education Surveys Program (NHES) Parent and Family Involvement Survey (PFI) to examine the characteristics associated with the educational expectations parents had for their children and the postsecondary education planning practices families and schools engaged in. The results presented in…

This paper focuses on family involvement in the education of teenagers at risk of dropping out from compulsory secondary school. A questionnaire was completed by 131 Spanish and Cypriot families with children at six schools--three in each country. The questionnaire investigated: (1) parental perceptions of their children's activities in their free…

This research brief summarizes the latest evidence base on effective involvement for elementary school children--that is, the studies that link family involvement in elementary schools to children's academic achievement and social development. It synthesizes the outcome-based empirical research published between 1999 and 2006 that were cataloged…

Beginning teachers of young children often express concern that their professional preparation has not adequately prepared them to work effectively with families. This remains the case in spite of literature documenting the importance of involving parents in their children's early education. This article describes a service learning project…

Designed to be used before and after attending a performance of "Alice in Wonderland," this cue sheet provides information about the performance and suggests activities to help families foster children's understanding and appreciation of the performing arts. The cue sheet presents activities to help children think about the performance,…

This article reviews current practices, both nationwide and in Ohio, regarding family involvement in early childhood career education. Also discussed are the parents' planning and advisory role and participant role; several recommendations are offered. Available from: PS 504 969. (JMB)