A late 1960s graduate of racially segregated school in Mississippi evaluates her high school's performance against Ron Edmonds's five school effectiveness correlates (strong instructional leadership; clear instructional mission; orderly, safe climate; high expectations; close monitoring with standardized tests). School passed only one; all…

For over a decade, Reginald Clark conducted research on low-income students identified as well-motivated, high achievers. Clark's effective families shared a feeling of control over their lives, frequent communication of high expectations, dreams of future success, reliance on hard work and active engagement, and emphasis on spiritual growth. Tips…

Increased parent involvement means better financial support for public schools. Parent involvement at the secondary level is most effective when teachers feel comfortable working with parents; parent convenience is considered; school-parent communication is frequent and positive; programs build self-esteem and feature social and educational…

Administrators must review school policies and practices to ensure that the needs of the increasing numbers of students from nontraditional families are being met. Administrators can further communication by providing teachers with accurate information about students' family structure, establish joint expectations and responsibility for a child's…

Although parents are eager to play all roles at school from tutor to decision maker, they are hindered by lack of support from educators. Superintendents, school boards, principals, and teachers must rethink the definition of power and control. Real power means that all stakeholders, including parents, make decisions together to meet students'…

Parent/family involvement is an important factor in successful schools or schools reporting improved student achievement. Interviews of 50 southern Illinois principals identified 10 highly successful strategies for improving such involvement, including parent/student switch days, parent/student fundraising, teacher/parent roundtable discussions,…

Parent education programs can play a vital role in teaching parents about early adolescent development and behavior and the transition to the middle level. Middle-level educators can conduct a needs assessment, plan and implement sessions and topics, and serve as resource specialists. The result will be increased parent support for young…

During 1987-88, the New York City comptroller allocated $800,000 to city's schools exclusively for promising, replicable parent involvement programs. Article describes successful programs involving two high school districts in Bronx and Staten Island. Success factors include strong administrative leadership, staff accessibility and cultural…

In November 1990, an Indianapolis high school implemented an at-risk program to help students form positive partnerships with parents to improve attendance, GPAs, and test scores. The program involved frequent parent contact concerning academics and other student concerns, weekly tutoring sessions staffed by teachers and peer tutors, and workshops…

A Wisconsin study of single-parent children in the seventh and eighth grades revealed four general areas of need: stability and structure, acceptance, adult attention, and parental involvement. Parents felt that the parenting role should be left to them and that schools should limit out-of-school projects and educate their children by providing…

Administrators can provide education, guidance, support services that encourage noncustodial parents to remain involved with their children academically and socially. Except when limited by legal documents, school policies must be designed to treat all parents equally, regardless of marital status. Children of divorce need to know that both…

Semistructured interviews with 14 high school students who had lost parents to death or divorce disclosed some important findings. School was deemed a place of security and safety. Students with divorced parents received more teacher support than those who had lost parents to death. Students basically wanted to be accepted and considered no…

Juvenile gang activity is not limited to low-income, inner-city youth. In February 1990, suburban Santa Rosa (California) junior high school curbed emergent gang-related activities on campus. Action plan depended on positive school climate emphasizing safety and security, early identification of gang members and possible recruits, intervention…

Outlines a 14-step process for establishing a suicide prevention program, including collecting data; gaining administrative approval; seeking legal advice; establishing an ad hoc crisis intervention committee; collecting sample forms; appraising agency resources; developing a written policy; appraising community resources; involving the media;…

Our schools can no longer afford to be uncritical transmitters of historical traditions, values, and mythologies. To make the present and future world relevant to today's youth, the teaching of social studies and history must be reexamined and revised. Teachers must present developing young minds with an authentic panorama of New World development…