Parent Liaisons can play an integral role in working to realize a vision for a strategic, comprehensive, and continuous system of family, school, and community partnerships that demonstrably contribute to children's development and school success. Parent involvement continues to receive an increasing amount of attention in federal and state…

This article addresses the value of teachers establishing rituals and traditions in early childhood classrooms. Using the lens of a particular preschool classroom, where one of the co-authors taught for many years, the article describes specific traditions that have been established over the years and how these rituals, activities, and events…

In the past decade, the use of computer-mediated communication such as e-mail has reportedly increased the level of parental involvement and parent-teacher communication at the elementary and secondary level. However, research has not yet examined the characteristics of parent-teacher e-mail communication. Thirty parent and 30 teacher interviews…

The purpose of this research was to identify, analyze, and compare the perceptions of parents and school administrators in regard to school-family partnerships in three middle schools in the State of Louisiana. The study investigated the similarities and dissimilarities between parent and school administrator perceptions, probed to determine…

This study examined first-year teachers' (FYTs) experiences at high poverty and non-high poverty schools, exploring their emotional responses to critical incidents. Twenty-eight FYTs were interviewed. The results highlighted the influence of FYT's interactions with students, coworkers, administrators, and parents on their emotions. FYTs at high…

The purpose of this research was to determine the influence of the custodial parents' level of educational attainment on the quantity of parental involvement in the areas of assistance with homework, time spent in home activities with the child, communication with teachers, participation in school events, educational discussions with the child,…

Parents' involvement in their children's education is associated with a variety of benefits, including higher achievement, yet teachers are not uniformly supportive and encouraging. Teacher attitudes and beliefs about parental involvement are a predictive factor which schools, and preservice programs, could influence, yet little is known about how…

The research reported in this article invites educators to rethink their assumptions about students and families. Using data from a qualitative, longitudinal teacher-research study, the author presents seven lessons that she has learned from the families of her students and challenges other teachers to seek ways to learn about the families they…

A partnership between families and schools occurs when parents and educators join in mutual efforts that have the shared goal of improving outcomes for students. Although administrators and teachers are the education experts, students are in the classroom for a relatively small portion of the day and the year. Parents, on the other hand, are the…

Because teachers work in relatively closed classroom spaces, they are notoriously difficult for administrators or parents to observe. At the same time, middle-class parents have demonstrated an interest in "opening" the closed classroom door. Findings from this research suggest that surveilling parents provided advantages for their child during…

Research suggests that community-referenced pedagogy initiatives foster academic inclusion for minority students. However, we know little about such engagements' benefits for teachers. This study provides insights into teachers' dispositions toward school-based parent involvement in education based on ethnographic data collected through…

In the United States of America, the practice of kindergarten redshirting i.e., of waiting to enroll a child into kindergarten until the year after the child was originally eligible, is becoming more common in today's schools. This study offers insight into the reasons why some parents elect to redshirt their child at the kindergarten level. A…

This study explored the beliefs and practices of diverse families surrounding the emergence of literacy development in young children with disabilities. Interviews were conducted with families of young children with disabilities to identify the beliefs about literacy and disability that influence the literacy experiences they provide for their…

Balancing the need to prepare pre-service teachers with the skills necessary to effectively participate in Individualized Education Programs (IEPs) with the constraints of confidentiality as required by law has led one university to develop video scenarios that can be used as teaching tools. Three scenarios have been created, two at the secondary…

Research investigating the relationship between parenting and academic achievement has provided conflicting results, particularly for low-income, culturally-diverse parents. Using resilience theory, the researchers conducted a case study with five low-income African American mothers. Findings suggest that educators can benefit from partnering with…