An overview of South Asian and Southeast Asian Americans is discussed to aid teachers in understanding behaviors exhibited by Asian students. Culture influences in the following areas are explored: family relationships, respect for age, social interaction, communication style, family expectations, humility, school situations, decision making, and…

Introduces an issue on family literacy in urban education, describing three approaches to family literacy. Articles highlight the sense of place, community, and identity; Hispanic parents' use of literacy-rich environments; discourse between teachers and Latino parents during conferences; identifying teaching practices that connect home and…

As revealed by its title, this booklet shows how schools can be made safe and welcoming places for children. Such schools are likely to foster children's learning and their motivation to continue learning throughout their lives. The booklet has been prepared for inclusion in the Educational Practices Series developed by the International Academy…

Under Title V, Guidance, Counseling, and Testing of the "National Defense Education Act of 1958," the Congress of the United States has recognized the value of tests as a tool which may be used to help make an early determination of the aptitudes and abilities of the students in U.S. schools. This bulletin attempts to explain the use and…

Recognizing the critical role of parent involvement for the success of their children in school, this report presents statistics which focus on various areas in which parents and schools can work together to develop partnerships. The report presents data collected from a survey of 810 public elementary schools serving kindergarten through grade 8.…

This paper presents guidelines for creating a collaborative approach for communication among teachers, parents, and students to plan for their transition toward further education or work in adult life and to become informed self-advocates. Guidelines for teachers are presented and include: (1) establishing a system that places the student at the…

A study examined the nature of parent/teacher interactions when discussions and conferences were centered around artifacts of children's literacy learning in both home and school contexts. Four parent/teacher dyads in a small community where the majority of families are new immigrants to the United States were selected on the basis of the interest…

A study of children's progress through the first 3 years of school followed 32 students in 10 schools in the Wellington, New Zealand area. Data were collected through interviews with children, teachers, and parents; school records; and video recordings of children in the classroom. Sections of this report of the study discuss: (1) assistant…

This document summarizes Bridging Cultures, a 3-hour course module for preservice teachers that is designed to improve teachers' ability to successfully teach diverse students. It can be integrated into existing courses on child development, educational psychology, or the like. The module introduces a framework (based on the constructs of…

This book is designed to give special educators, regular educators, and parents the confidence and know-how to develop Individualized Education Programs (IEPs) that are both legally correct and educationally useful. Chapter 1 highlights the five main components of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA): evaluation and…

Designed with the new teacher in mind, this kindergarten curriculum guide begins Part I with a statement of beliefs and goals guiding educational practice and lists needs and characteristics of kindergarten children. Part II focuses on preparing for the school year and offers information to help teachers become oriented to unfamiliar school…

Communication is crucial to a good school-community relationship. In Middle Tennessee, parents in 52 schools and 20 school systems were surveyed to determine how they received school information and how they would prefer to receive the information. Previous research suggests that schools can develop a reputation of candor and dependability through…

The project investigated differences in perceptions and attributions for successful and unsuccessful IEP (individualized education program) conferences between 85 mothers of mentally retarded and emotionally or behaviorally disabled children (5-15 years old) and 81 special education teachers. Trained parents (those who received information about…

This module (part of a series of 24 modules) is on philosophies, competencies, and skills that will aid the teacher in communicating with parents. The genesis of these materials is in the 10 "clusters of capabilities," outlined in the paper, "A Common Body of Practice for Teachers: The Challenge of Public Law 94-142 to Teacher…

Over 240 secondary school principals, guidance counselors, and teachers were interviewed to determine the relative degree of emphasis that should be placed on various topical areas in evaluation during the preservice training of teachers. The specific topical areas included writing behavioral objectives, developing objective tests, developing…