This review of the literature on the current state of parent and community involvement looks at the programs and practices, and their effects, in the research and practice literature, especially since 1980. The review explores past history and offers a contemporary view of the policies, trends, and factors that provide an understanding for the context of parent and community involvement programs. The literature on middle grades (grades 4-8) is highlighted throughout the review, because activities in these grades are less well-developed and understood than those for earlier grades. Chapter 1 introduces the purposes, definitions, and limitations of the review. Chapter 2 examines the context of parent and community involvement programs, including the policy environment. Chapter 3 discusses the development and implementation of parent and community involvement programs, framed within the roles that parents, families, and community members assume in the educational process, and focusing on home learning, school restructuring, and districwide programs as vehicles through which these roles are facilitated. Chapter 4 explores the impact or outcomes of parent and community involvement programs for students, parents, school personnel, and districts. Chapter 5 presents implications and conclusions. Two appendixes contain 149 references and an annotated bibliography of materials on creating family-school partnerships. (HTH)