Good two-way communication between families and schools is necessary for students' success. Not surprisingly, research shows that the more parents and teachers share relevant information with each other about a student, the better equipped both will be to help that student achieve academically. Opportunities for two-way communication include: (1)…

This book, by two editors of "Data Wise: A Step-by-Step Guide to Using Assessment Results to Improve Teaching and Learning," attempts to bring about a fundamental shift in how educators think about the meetings we attend. They make the case that these gatherings are potentially the most important venue where adult and organizational…

In teacher preparation programs, teacher candidates are expected to learn parental collaboration through their required college coursework and field experiences. Due to confidentiality requirements in field placements, however, teacher candidates are typically not provided an opportunity to attend IEP or 504 plan conferences. In this study,…

Very few PreK-12 teachers are adequately trained to address the gender identity and sexual identity of their students in a developmentally-appropriate and pedagogically-sound manner. Yet responsible adults--parents, educators, pre-service teachers, coaches, religious instructors, camp administrators and school counselors--must help children…

This article focuses on the fact that very often the traditional parent-teacher conference process is missing the most important stake holder, the child. The author asks the reader to clear the traditional image of parent-teacher conferences from their mind and imagine a conference process and setting that has the potential to bring together…

Maura Joyce's clear approach to initiating parent education is to recognize where the parents are on their own journey as parents. By listening to the parents' hopes, fears, and desired outcomes for their children acknowledges the family's perspective and brings mutuality into a shared community. Maura Joyce encourages the use of questionnaires…

This study examines the encounter of Somali parents with their children's teachers and how these relations "affect" their possibility of supporting their children's attaining a successful school experience. The study is inspired by and combines the insight and concept of social capital developed by Coleman and Bourdieu. The parents…

The purpose of this study is to highlight the opinions of teachers with regard to the approaches of parental involvement in school. A case study design was used in this study conducted that is employed in studies of a qualitative nature. In the "case" under research, there was an attempt to determine the opinions of teachers regarding…

This quantitative, causal-comparative study utilized ex post facto data to examine the impact of education support advisors (ESAs) on the discipline, attendance, and achievement of at-risk students in Grades 3-12. Fourteen education support advisors working in 16 elementary and 8 secondary schools of this mid-Atlantic school district consistently…

Building a strong partnership with students' families will help the student succeed. At Parents for Public Schools, the author and her staff work to bring parents and guardians into a positive relationship with their children's teachers and schools, and they have gathered feedback from parents about how they think that can happen. This article…

This paper highlights some of the challenges and milestones inherent in building partnerships between institutions of higher education and public-school systems from an interdisciplinary approach. It discusses lessons learned from a Mathematics Science Partnership (MSP)-Start Partnership that was funded by the National Science Foundation from 2008…

Conferences with an upset parent, teacher, or student should be opportunities for schools to build relationships with the community and to foster a positive school culture. But in reality, they are often held because a problem has arisen and often end with stakeholders having a less-than-positive image of the school. Understanding the steps that…

Father involvement in education has been shown to result in a range of positive outcomes for typically developing children. However, the nature of paternal involvement in the education of children with disabilities and especially autism has been under-researched and is little understood. This study aimed to explore the nature of the involvement of…

Summer activities have grown old. Going swimming has lost its allure, and boredom has set in. No matter how well parents have planned interesting and educational activities for the summer months or how much they have enjoyed the freedom from stricter schedules and more rigid bedtimes, it is time to transition back to the routines of the school…

This research explores an action research project conducted by the first author focused on supporting her preschool students' literacy and language development. Using observations, interviews, artifacts, and assessment, this research documents the first author's process of conducting an action research project over the course of one year to…