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Public–private partnerships (PPPs) have a growing presence in U.S. public schools in activities ranging from standardized testing to after-school programs to charter schools. A smaller scale mode of collaboration between public schools and private actors not typically described as a PPP is fundraising by parents and community members through parent–teacher associations or organizations (PTAs or PTOs) and school- or district-level foundations. These organizations have dramatically expanded fundraising in reaction to several trends. This article describes case studies of 2 districts in which school board policy was modified to address concerns that such fundraising produces inequity. In Newton, Massachusetts, and Bellevue, Washington, policy limits fundraising benefiting individual schools in favor of approaches to benefit the entire district. Drawing on interviews and public documents, the article examines how these policies were adopted and what approach they take to address inequity. It concludes by considering this phenomenon in relation to urban inequality and describing policy concerns on the horizon related to philanthropy of this nature. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article explores the types of family-school relationships that promote academic, socio-economic, and social and emotional well-being of black African immigrant children in the United States. The data are ethnographic, drawing on one year of participant observation and interviews at two elementary schools. The findings are also set within the context of an analysis of data from the New Immigrant Survey. The article identifies mechanisms by which relationships between black African immigrants and schools are created and argues that intersections between demographics and school culture are central, particularly as related to the possibilities for relational power, which can allow parents and school staff to transcend persistent inequalities of race and discrimination. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Scallywags is a community‐based, early intervention programme for young children (aged 3–7) with behavioural, emotional and social problems, which integrates work in the home and school with a parenting curriculum and direct work with children. A pre‐post intervention study across multi‐sites of 340 participants is reported. Using standardised measures, the study found statistically significant reductions in problems at home and school experienced by children who completed the programme, and in parental stress levels. Participation was found to be high and the project acceptable to parents, many of whom would be described as hard to reach. The rigorous evaluation of this real‐life service and its positive outcomes highlight the potential of such programmes to tackle the needs of these children and families, and help prevent longer‐term problems associated with early onset behavioural problems, including social exclusion, antisocial behaviour and educational failure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Reports on the results of a survey on the interests and needs of members of professional and parent organizations in Mississippi in relation to gifted education. Indication of the presence of opportunities for the development of partnerships between gifted education advocates and members of educational and parent associations.