Author visits a parents' advice and information centre in London's East End. (Editor/RK)

The author spent a year on the administrative council of a French PTA. She discusses the centralization of French education, from testing to teaching methods. Reforms since 1968 include prohibition of homework. Problems of school space, facilities, and construction are noted. (CHK)

This issue of the quarterly newsletter, "PLAINTalk," is the third in a four part series, reprinting chapters from Sharon and Craig Ramey's book, "Going to School." This issue presents practical and useful techniques for parents covering the following topics: (1) What Is "Parent Involvement"?; (2) The Right Balance of "Parent Involvement"; (3) Why…

The growing role of teachers' unions in educational decision making, the emergence of educational bureaucracies, the rise of consumer consciousness, and the passage of laws that provide a legal basis for parent power have all stimulated the development of independent parent groups. (ST)

The president of the national Parent Teacher Association discusses the organization's activism and its areas of major concern--collective bargaining, urban education, the establishment of a Department of Education, and community support for public education. (IRT)

Describes Project DESTINY, a federally funded support program for families with middle school students with emotional and behavioral disabilities in New Hampshire. The development of the program, the involvement of school staff and students, positive outcomes of the program, and tips for enhancing family involvement in schools are discussed. (CR)

This workbook provides information and guidelines for planning and operating Parent Advisory Councils (P.A.C.s) provided for under the Elementary and Secondary Education Act Title I. The first part of the workbook, which was prepared for P.A.C. planners in the Phoenix, Arizona, Union High School District, is a month-by-month guide to P.A.C.…

Intended to give Parent Advisory Council (PAC) members exposure to their roles and responsibilities, the guide, written in Spanish and English, provides information on how to train PAC members on parliamentary procedures (Roberts Rules) and the importance of agendas and agenda construction. The guide's eight sections cover the rules/regulations,…

Parent participation as a requirement of Title I programs is examined in this report. The extent and degree to which this participation is effectively implemented in 116 schools in eight states is described. Data from Federal, State and local officials and from Title I parents were used to determine what problems mandated parent involvement might…

Describes the ways in which the New York State Special Education Instructional Materials Center has become a major force in improving education for handicapped children in the state, with special reference to parent education and participation programs. (ED)

The history and structural evolution of VOICE for Hearing-Impaired Children is described. Located in Toronto, Ontario, VOICE is the largest parent-support group of its kind in North America. Through its chapters and associated parents groups, it has implemented social and educational policy advocacy and various service delivery models. (Author/VW)

This pamphlet notes how active family involvement in education can benefit children's achievement, attitudes, schools, and teachers. It describes how families and schools can work together to contribute to the education process. The pamphlet details the components of a family-school partnership promise to work together, exchange information,…

Three hundred twenty-nine parents of developmentally disabled children (0 to 21 years old) were surveyed to test the hypothesis that parents who join parent groups are more likely to be white, highly educated, currently married, Republican, and to have higher family incomes than those who do not join parent groups. The survey questionnaire was…

A current project of the Southeastern Public Education Program (SEPEP) of the American Friends Service Committee is strengthening the implementation of parental involvement requirements of Title I of the 1965 Elementary and Secondary Education Act. Toward this end, SEPEP has provided technical assistance to parent advisory council members in…