Empowerment is based on the viewpoint that power shared is power multiplied. It contributes to increased school effectiveness by providing people with the opportunity and necessary resources to understand and change their world. The interactive processes by which people empower each other and benefit from them are discussed in this report.…

Written for Canadian parents of young children with special needs, this handbook provides information on ways in which parents can work with professionals (physicians, teachers, other school staff, social workers, psychiatrists, psychologists) in selecting and monitoring services for their special needs child. The first section considers the…

The report is designed as a guideline for preservice and inservice teacher education programs and the New York local education agencies providing preschool services to handicapped children. A set of competencies was reviewed, rated and discussed by professionals in the field at two workshops and in consultation with preschool program…

Ten emerging issues in early childhood education (ECE) are explored. The first issue has to do with the societal purpose for early childhood education, the second with the problem of whether ECE personnel are professionals. The third issue concerns the conceptual world view that helps educators see what child development is all about. The fourth…

A selection from the many citations of material in the ERIC/RCS Reprint Bibliography entitled "Helping Parents Understand the Stages of Their Child's Reading Development," this FAST (Focused Access to Selected Topics) annotated bibliography can serve as a guide and beginning point for parents who want to become better informed about any…

Project KIT (Kids in Transition) of the Northern Trails Area Education Agency in Iowa assists in preparing for children's transition from early childhood special education programs to elementary regular/special education programs and transition from special education home intervention services to the preschool special education classroom. This…

This self-study guide facilitates evaluation of early childhood special education programs by providing a tool for identifying both strengths and areas for improvement. Steps are outlined for completing a program self-study. Then forms are offered for assessing the quality of specific program areas. A section on necessary relationships examines…

An elementary school principal implemented a practicum to improve school-home communication at a school where administrators believed that a history of poor communication between parents and teachers negatively influenced the school's academic and parent involvement programs. Specific practicum goals were to improve: (1) school-home communication…

Second-year results of the Block Plan, initiated in the seventh grade of a large junior high school in Alberta, Canada in 1980, indicate that the program is successful. The Block Plan uses the concept of a pair of teachers being assigned to two classes for the homeroom period plus four academic core courses--language arts/social science and…

This document highlights the development of guidelines and strategies for teaching preservice and inservice elementary school educators about parent involvement. Based on previous Parent Involvement in Education Project research and on input from experts and professionals actively engaged in teacher education and/or parent involvement, strategies…

The Family Involvement Communication System (FICS) is intended to enhance the coordination of educational services for children as well as to encourage cooperation among schools, parents, and universities. FICS is designed to achieve these goals through focusing on the family as a cohesive unit, providing renewal strategies for school personnel…

This report, prepared by the Teacher Education and Professional Standards Commission of the Ohio Education Association, discusses aspects of prekindergarten programs. Included are brief guidelines on the following subjects: prekindergarten teacher certification and responsibilities; the role of the school principal and of the prekindergarten…

This guide to mainstreaming emotionally disturbed preschoolers is one of a series of eight manuals on mainstreaming preschoolers developed by Project Head Start. The guide is addressed to parents, teachers, and other professionals and paraprofessionals. Chapter I presents information on the meaning, benefits and implementation of mainstreaming and…

Although the Migrant Education Program dates from 1965, parental involvement in it is governed by very recent statutory and regulatory requirements. Current statutory requirements come from the Elementary Secondary Education Amendments (ESEA) of 1978. They concern the establishment of and consultation by State and Local Education Agencies (SEAs…

The St. Louis (Missouri) Citizens' Involvement Project was a joint effort between the Housing Authority's Tenant Affairs Board and the Board of Education. The program goal was to supplement Elementary and Secondary Education Act Title I programs by fostering educator-parent-community cooperation in including teaching/learning strategies that would…