This case study of families of first-generation college students, drawing from multiple data sources including longitudinal data from 8 parents who were interviewed three times over the span of their students' first college year and focus group data with parents attending college orientation, expands our understanding of parent and family…

This article has two aims. First, it conveys the results of a questionnaire and focus-group study. This study asked parents of 3-to-5-year-old children what they would like to help support their children's development toward the transition from early childhood services to primary school. Second, it describes the process of university researcher…

This being the 20th volume in the series of Advances in Early Education and Day Care, it encourages reflection on previous volumes. Family involvement has been an issue in early education going back to Pestalozzi almost two centuries ago. Although the issue has been discussed in many different ways since then, there are still areas where we have…

This study used a qualitative, grounded theoretical framework to examine integration of Joyce Epstein's six typologies of family involvement in responses to discussion questions for an online parent involvement course. Fifty-two undergraduate students' responses were axially coded. Overarching themes were then determined with the constant…

Since the 1997 publication of "New Skills for New Schools" by Harvard Family Research Project, the education reform landscape has changed dramatically, making it necessary to align teacher preparation and professional learning for family engagement with the goals of a twenty-first century education. Harvard Family Research Project is currently…

The purpose of this article is to share results of an exploratory qualitative research study designed to shed light on experiences of an interdisciplinary group of elementary school staff and graduate students in a school-based services project. A researcher conducted 20 interviews with staff and graduate students who represented the fields of…

Federal and professional mandates call for increased family involvement in education, yet most teacher preparation programs do not teach skills necessary to engage families in a thorough or systematic manner. The current project addressed this training deficit by offering a program that included a sequence of three graduate courses to a cohort of…

In the wake of 9/11, Hurricane Katrina, and the Virginia Tech shooting tragedy, it is no surprise that concern for students' safety is the primary reason attributed to parents' increased involvement. Parents and university administrators share in their commitment to student safety. However, college and university staff who assume responsibility…

With the implementation of the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001, the educational community has the opportunity to ensure that underserved populations, such as students of color and poor students, receive the necessary educational support to achieve academic success. Relevant data from the Education Trust (1999, 2003, 2006) suggest a growing…

Parent/professional partnerships have been credited with improving outcomes for children and enhancing satisfaction for both parents and professionals. Family involvement in preservice programs is minimal and often limited to parent panels or parent involvement in a class activity such as an interview. Preservice students who have had multiple…

As colleges and universities adjust to the changing relationship between today's students and their families, the benefits of providing parent services become increasingly clear. Parents have a stake in their student's education because of the financial and personal investment they are making. Today's young adults are in frequent contact--50…

Parents of today's college students have much on their minds: paying for college, coping with their children's history of depression, ensuring safety, managing complex roommate relationships, and emphasizing academic success, to name just a few. Parental involvement has reportedly grown over the past few years, owing to many contributing factors:…

Historically, preservice teacher education programs have not adequately prepared teachers in parent involvement or family-centered practices. Because teachers do not routinely encourage family involvement, and parents do not always participate when they are encouraged to do so, the importance of preservice training to involve family members in…

The primary purpose of this study was to examine the extent to which preservice teachers participating in a 16-week course in family and community relations would evidence a change in perception of the importance, feasibility, and level of preparation regarding family involvement strategies. A sample of 132 undergraduate preservice teachers was…