Kindergarten teachers can support children's transition to school by reaching out to parents to encourage parent involvement. These outreach efforts, which are also commonly referred to as transition practices, have the potential to support children's transition to school. Scholars suggest that teachers' beliefs shape their practices. This article…

Student belonging to school has been consistently correlated with many significant outcomes, yet there is little research that depicts how this sense is developed. This study explores the factors through which late elementary/middle school students (Grades 4-8) develop a sense of belonging to their school. Individual interviews with teachers and…

The purpose of this article is to share the results of a qualitative research study designed to shed light on the perspectives of inclusive prekindergarten classroom teachers in the United States. This study used surveys, interviews, and classroom observations to explore understandings of recently adopted learning standards and accountability…

The purpose of this explanatory sequential mixed methods study was to utilize teacher perceptions to identify best practices for school leaders who seek to transform their school into a "school as community". First, a large urban high school was purposefully selected based on data obtained from the Department of Education. After…

This article highlights how an existing university-school partnership between a university and a kindergarten center was restructured in an attempt to bring academic and practitioner knowledge together in a more synergistic way in support of preservice teacher learning. In an effort to more closely connect a campus-based course that had a small…

Family-school partnerships have a positive impact on both students and schools, yet they remain challenging to establish and maintain, particularly in the presence of parent-teacher conflict. The purpose of this qualitative study was to examine the experiences of parents, teachers, and students when parents and teachers disagreed about a student's…

The purpose of this study is to examine a preschool program with a high level of quality family involvement. Since family involvement during the early years has been linked to achievement and success in school, it is important to examine how such partnerships can be fostered in a meaningful way. The study employs an inductive qualitative approach,…

Three qualitative case studies of elementary school African American boys demonstrate differing perspectives of the school-related support that students experience. Three boys, their teachers, and their parents/guardians identified various individuals as supportive in the boys' schooling. These individuals included co-residential family members,…

Preservice teachers from a Hispanic-serving university and Latino families reflected on their interactions during an after-school children's tutoring program conducted at an elementary school. This paper focuses on issues that both preservice teachers and families found important to communication and relationship building. These issues were…

Although inclusion is recommended as "best practice," there is little implementation research from the parent's viewpoint. This article presents the experiences of one mother actively involved in making inclusion work for her child. Tracey's story focuses on the importance of developing parent-professional partnerships to secure a…

Summarizes 87 teachers' comments about parent involvement in a focus-group study. Participants shared their positive and negative experiences working with parents. Schools can help by creating time and support for teachers' efforts, providing ongoing professional support and training for creating effective home-school partnerships, revamping…