This collection of guidelines and worksheets provides information on the development of good communications skills, aspects of interpersonal communication, and elements of administrator effectiveness in the field of education. Specifically mentioned are a public relations project; coping with rumors and grapevine information; social networking;…

Guidelines for improving educators' leadership styles in interacting and communicating with difficult people are described in this paper. Part 1, an introduction, discusses general conflict management techniques for teachers and administrators, some of which include problem prevention, listening, and understanding verbal/nonverbal messages.…

Educators in Indiana's Duneland School District found the transition from elementary schools to a newly organized middle school unacceptably difficult for both the students and their parents. After assessing student and parent preconceptions of the middle school as revealed in their responses to questionnaires, the middle school principal…

A survey was taken to measure how 3700 elementary school teachers and 600 principals in Maryland school districts feel about parent involvement in home learning as a teaching strategy and to see how widespread this teaching strategy is. This summary of survey results provides information on the extent and use of varied techniques to involve…

The paper provides guidelines for establishing an outreach program to increase communication and skill development of trainable mentally handicapped students (ages 5-16 years) based on the Project SEARCH (Special Education and Related Child Health) program at the Emerson School (Minneapolis, Minnesota). Following an introduction, meetings between…

This collection of 9 papers presented at a conference on parent involvement in the schools focuses on topics such as communication among teachers, children, and parents; actual parent participation in the educational program; and parental control of the educational program. Papers included were: (1) "Establishing Effective Communications between…

The Michigan Educational Assessment Program (MEAP) staff developed strategies to train teachers and principals to use state assessment results for improving academic achievement in their schools. Two local uses of the state assessment results are (1) using the results of grades 4, 7, and 10 with the students tested, and (2) using the results to…

This Child Development Associate (CDA) training module is designed to help the CDA intern establish a positive type of relationship with parents which will lead to effective communication and cooperation between home and school. Objectives are presented along with suggested activities for achieving each objective and an assessment checklist. Also…

This pamphlet has been developed as a practical guide for educators and parents interested in understanding as much as possible about reporting student progress to the home. It includes different reporting systems, contents of reports, and sources for reporting to parents. The conclusion includes a model reporting plan, which may be especially…

As part of the evaluation scheme of the University of South Florida's College of Education Early Intervention Program, a followup study was conducted with 25 graduates of the program (1970-73). Ss responses to a followup scale provided information on changes in their professional aspirations, development, and involvement and on their retrospective…

This looseleaf booklet provides Pittsburgh Diocesan administrators and teachers a step-by-step guide to the nongraded program toward which most Diocesan schools have been working for the past 15 years. The guide embodies information on parent-teacher conferences, testing, grouping, and the program mechanics and philosophy. Mathematics and reading…

The purpose of this practicum was to develop strategies to reduce the dropout rate at Spalding Junior High, Unit 1, Griffin, Georgia. Potential dropouts were identified and specific strategies were used to assist students in solving problems which caused them to become potential dropouts. Some of the strategies developed were: (1) faculty…

A survey of 904 special education teachers determined the nature and extent of parent-teacher interactions, by gathering data on number of parent contacts, time spent, communication format (written, telephone, or personal visit), nature of parent contacts in Individualized Education Plan (IEP) development, teachers' roles during IEP meetings, and…

Two mothers of pupils in the Holyoke School System revitalized flagging parent involvement efforts with a program, the City-Wide Parent Participation Council, that includes the following strategies: (1) membership, voting, and elections; (2) scheduling; (3) minority outreach; (4) communications staff and office; (5) publicity; and (6) special…

This 15-minute videotape offers a motivational staff development program for teachers. Four segments focus on: (1) preparing for the teacher's absence (e.g., knowing the school's policy and protocol, preparing a safety kit for the substitute teacher, and keeping a box of learning materials available for the substitute); (2) effective learning…