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Previous research highlights how schools value white, middle-class modes of parental involvement, we know less about Latinx parents' involvement in their children's schools. This article compares the participatory patterns of Latinx and non-Latinx white parents whose children attend a Spanish/English dual-immersion school in Los Angeles. Drawing from 66 interviews and 20 months of participant observation, I find that all parents participate actively but are channeled into racially segregated Parent Teacher Organizations (PTO) based on the reputation, demographic composition and informal culture of each of these organizations. This organizational segregation disadvantages Latinxs – working-class Latinx parent efforts garner less power and recognition and middle-class Latinx are less active in PTOs, as they feel they do not 'fit' in either organization. This article illustrates how school-based parental involvement is stratified in ways that are not fully captured by solely focusing on participation, and demonstrates how parent organizations can function as racialized organizations that perpetuate inequality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article discusses parent–teacher relationships in school micropolitics based on beginning teachers' stories. We employ a narrative approach and investigate how micropolitical conditions and strategies are portrayed in beginning teachers' stories of parent–teacher relationships. The research material consists of narrative interviews with seven Finnish primary school teachers in the first and second years of their careers. The findings indicate that micropolitical processes play a part in constructing parent–teacher relationships. These micropolitics both enable and limit these relationships and influence how beginning teachers learn to cope with parent relationships. The findings reveal various micropolitical strategies that beginning teachers use to enact and construct parent–teacher relationships. Furthermore, the findings show that parent–teacher relationships do not necessarily include just parents and teachers, but are multidimensional, encompassing several intertwined relationships that micropolitically condition parent–teacher relationships. The implications for pre- and in-service teacher education and school leaders are considered. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study examines parental involvement in urban public schools, focusing on how parents in organised school-centred networks support, navigate, and negotiate from their different social positions. The multiple case study of specialised music programmes provides insights into parent strategies and behaviours in intermediate practices between school-based socialisation and extracurricular activities largely run by the parents associations. The paper draws on data from in-depth focus group interviews with members of parents associations in socially, culturally, and historically different schools. Findings demonstrate that parent approaches to specialised education and their modes of involvement vary according to social class, resources, and school culture. There are class-based differences in parent strategies and the way their collective symbolic capital is used in policy negotiation. However, relationships between a parents association and the school administration are generally regulated by the social and cultural history of a particular school. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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]

The few studies conducted in Europe to date suggest that little attention is paid to pre-service teacher preparation for family-school partnerships (FSP) and that many teachers feel unprepared for such work. In England there has been little research in this area but a government review of best practice in parental involvement with schools concluded that ‘(t)eachers often lack the confidence and knowledge to work with parents …’. Given the apparent discrepancy between the need for teachers to be more knowledgeable about FSP and the lack of opportunity within initial teacher education (ITE) programmes to address the issues, we carried out a national survey of ITE providers in England in order to ascertain what provision is currently on offer. Our findings indicate that while there is overall recognition of the value of preparing trainee teachers to become confident and knowledgeable about home-school partnerships, ITE providers feel constrained by the lack of time available to them to explore this area in greater detail. The article concludes by discussing some of the challenges of both planning and delivering effective FSP provision within the ITE curriculum and how this might relate to future professional learning. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper describes the development of the Guilford Parent Academy (GPA), which is a school district-community collaboration developed to promote parent engagement and to assist families by providing online and face-to- face access to resources to help raise a successful and healthy child. Evaluation results over a four-year period suggest that the GPA innovative strategies and programs for reaching parents are increasingly effective within this large, culturally diverse school district. For example, GPA uses free online user accounts to allow parents to access a variety of resources to assist their children's academic and social development. GPA on the Go offers face-to- face workshops at places of business or community settings that broaden the reach of parent engagement programs beyond the confines of the school. Lastly, Parent Ambassadors are working to create peer-to- peer parent networks to engage families and share resources with schools receiving Title I funds. Workshop offerings, online user accounts, and parent participation increased over a four-year period since this initiative was founded. We discuss the utility of the conceptual model and potential for replication of Parent Academy initiatives in other school districts, as well as future research directions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

It has been observed that forays into public education finance resemble Russian novels--"long, tedious, and everybody dies in the end." On any given day, dozens of news stories describe schools nationwide struggling to make ends meet. And, just as "each unhappy family is unhappy in its own way," each underfunded school is underfunded in its own complicated way. Funding for public education comes from many places, chief among them local property taxes, at least historically. States--which bear primary responsibility for administering their education systems--and private litigants have struggled for over sixty years to produce funding formulas that weaken the link between a community's wealth, as measured by property taxes, and the quality of its education. Alongside that trend to develop more equitable public funding, another trend began to emerge, in the form of increased public school reliance on sophisticated private fundraising organizations. Studies show that these organizations are unequally distributed along socioeconomic lines, leading many to conclude that they foster exactly the sort of inequitable public school resources that states have been trying to stifle. Although there is not enough data to claim that this disrupts equitable funding efforts statewide or nationwide, these organizations continue to grow rapidly, and the existing anecdotal evidence of neighboring schools with dramatically different resources is troubling. Calls to prohibit such private donations are also troubling, however, as these donations are well intended and provide schools with necessary resources and community support. Currently, no state-level regulations exist to provide guidance for how private donations might equitably exist within a publicly funded school system. This Note argues that it is time for state legislators to break this silence and proactively determine a statewide protocol for private donations that comports with their state's mission to provide a high quality public education to children from all socioeconomic backgrounds. In doing so, this Note emphasizes that it is critical to avoid characterizing private donations as inherently good or inherently bad because solutions permitting unlimited private donations are as undesirable as solutions that completely eliminate them. State legislators are equipped to find an appropriate point on that spectrum, one which protects the valuable goal of providing public education to all children equitably but does not discourage the valuable benefits of local community support for public education. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Acknowledging the fact that parental engagement is more beneficial during early childhood compared to other developmental stages many countries have institutionalised parental engagement. In Nigeria, the government has taken initiatives in order to involve parents in their child's development by encouraging the establishment of School Management Boards in the public schools and Parents Teachers Association in the private schools. On the contrary, in Greece home and preschool settings have separate roles and parent/teacher relationships have a long way to go towards becoming partnerships. In order to examine how Greek and Nigerian parents engage in their preschool children's education, 30 Greek and 30 Nigerian early childhood educators filled in the School, Family, and Community Partnerships Survey. Results suggest that parental engagement activities in both countries are not yet part of the schools' programme and they need improvement. Results have implications for the status of ECEC in both countries and the state's intensions to open pathways for collaboration in order to foster an inspiring vision for childhood. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Since 1992, the Mexican government has been making a renewed effort to improve civic involvement in public schools. Through different regulations, it has sought to enhance organizational skills and a sense of co-responsibility in parents, alumni, and other social agents. It has proposed measures aimed at involving the community, such as creating School Councils for Social Engagement. The aim of these Councils is to promote a constructive and co-responsible dialog concerning the administration and organization of schools, by involving different members of the community in educational affairs. This article presents the outcome of a case study from the qualitative and ethnographic perspective of how parents, directors, and teachers get involved in the creation and running of School Councils in a primary school. The results are very similar to those of other studies exploring parents' associations' difficulties with the innovative figure of the School Councils. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As primary school enrolment rates in Rwanda near ubiquity, completion rates remain low and repetition rates remain high. This study investigates the impact of the ‘hidden costs’ of schooling in the context of Rwanda’s fee-free education policy. Using a social-science case study, focus groups and interviews were undertaken with 200 participants, including local leaders, school administrators, children and caregivers. Findings suggest children continue to contend with a range of school-related costs that impact attendance, performance and completion. Examination fees, after-school coaching and ‘voluntary’ parent-teacher association dues were found to have serious consequences for children’s educational experience. Findings illustrate how these ‘hidden costs’ may be a key factor explaining why children do not complete their schooling once enrolled. A series of policy recommendations are offered and broader implications for children’s rights and Education For All are discussed. Further in-depth and comparative study is required. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

The study aimed at examining the monitoring aspect of the delivery of education services in government schools of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, province of Pakistan. The data was collected via self administered questionnaire from different stakeholders. The results show a very low level of satisfaction by key stakeholders towards monitoring function of schools. The reasons for low monitoring included no visit by education officers, low involvement of parents and parents-teachers committee (PTC), and no visit by elected representatives. Additional reasons for less monitoring were also explored and recommendations were given accordingly [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To examine the impact of Internet-based information about how to simulate being mentally healthy on the Rorschach (Exner, 2003) and the MMPI–2 (Butcher, Dahlstrom, Graham, Tellegen, & Kaemmer, 1989), 87 psychiatric outpatients completed the tests under 4 conditions: uncoached and Internet-coached outpatients under faking healthy instructions (faking patients and Internet-faking patients) and patients and nonpatients under standard instructions (standard patients and standard nonpatients). On the Rorschach, faking patients and Internet-faking patients did not manage to portray healthy test performance and, like standard patients, revealed a significantly greater number of perceptual and cognitive disturbances than standard nonpatients. Faking patients scored in the psychopathological direction on most variables. Internet-faking patients produced constricted protocols with significantly higher F% (57%) and lower use of provoking and aggressive contents than the other groups. On the MMPI–2, faking patients and Internet-faking patients were able to conceal symptoms and, like standard nonpatients, scored in the normal range on the clinical scales. The validity scale L successfully detected the faking patients and the Internet-faking patients, whereas the F scale only distinguished the Internet-faking patients and K only the faking patients. We conclude that Internet-based information could threaten test validity. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Gratitude is essential to social life and well-being. Although research with youth populations has gained momentum recently, only two gratitude interventions have been conducted in youth, targeting mostly adolescents. In the current research, we tested a new intervention for promoting gratitude among the youngest children targeted to date. Elementary school classrooms (of 8- to 11-year-olds) were randomly assigned either to an intervention that educated children about the appraisal of benefit exchanges or to a control condition. We found that children's awareness of the social-cognitive appraisals of beneficial social exchanges (i.e., grateful thinking) can be strengthened and that this, in turn, makes children more grateful and benefits their vv-ell-being in terms of increased general positive affect. A daily intervention produced evidence that this new approach induced gratitude immediately (2 days later) and led children to express gratitude more behaviorally (i.e., they wrote 80% more thank-you cards to their Parent-Teacher Association). A weekly intervention induced gratitude up to 5 months later and additionally showed an effect on well-being (i.e., positive affect). Evidence thus supported the effectiveness of this intervention. Results are discussed in terms of implications for positive youth development and academic functioning. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article focuses on the intersecting strands of the movement for desegregation in public schools and in the National Parent Teacher Association ( PTA), the largest volunteer organization dedicated to youth and education in the twentieth century. The PTA underwent a slow, contentious transition in at least two significant ways. First, while the National PTA office at first supported the rights of state and local chapters to dictate their own affairs, eventually it asserted control on all policy (including desegregation) for its branches. Second, the unification of the PTA's membership did not occur until 1970. While the PTA suffered from internal divisions along racial lines, black women wished to sustain their guidance on school policies and programs for young people in their communities. Eventually, PTA members enacted a policy that guaranteed inclusion and authority for black members. Leaders in the PTA, therefore, guided a significant shift in policy over time away from acceptance of segregation to an overt insistence on inclusion. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study examined food availability along children's paths to and from elementary school, and associations with change in body mass index (BMI) and waist circumference over 1 year. Secondary data from 319 children aged 8-13 years from the 'Multiple Opportunities to Reach Excellence' Project was used. Child anthropometry and demographic variables were obtained at baseline (2007) and 1 year follow-up. Food outlet locations ( n = 1,410) were obtained from the Baltimore City Health Department and validated by ground-truthing. Secondary data on healthy food availability within select food stores in Baltimore City in 2007 were obtained via a validated food environment assessment measure, the Nutrition Environments Measures Study. Multilevel models were used to examine associations between availability of healthy food and number of various food outlets along paths to school and child anthropometric change over 1 year. Controlling for individual-, neighborhood-, and school-level characteristics, results indicated that higher healthy food availability within a 100 m buffer of paths to school was associated with 0.15 kg/m lower BMI gain ( p = 0.015) and 0.47 cm smaller waist circumference gain ( p = 0.037) over 1 year. Although prior research has illuminated the importance of healthy food choices within school and home environments, the current study suggests that exposure to the food environment along paths to school should be further explored in relation to child health outcomes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Despite the massive education sector of the country, the Philippines – being located in the Pacific Ring of Fire and the typhoon belt – is home to a number of natural instabilities that frequently disrupt the school calendar. Conflict areas in selected parts of the island of Mindanao and the remote geographic features of the country also pose problems in education access. Poverty incidence is reported to be high in such locations and access to basic services such as education is exceedingly low as compared to mainstream Manila. Given the geographies of social exclusion, particularly in education, as exemplified by such issues, this article will detail the problems in education access in the Philippines as illustrated through: (a) the remote geographic locations of some parts of the country; (b) the devastations brought to schooling by natural disasters; and (c) the ‘geography of conflict’ in Mindanao. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A growing number of parents-particularly middle- and upper-middle-class parents- are working to fill budgetary gaps through their fundraising, grant writing, and volunteerism in urban public schools. Yet little is known about how this may shape norms and practices related to parental engagement within particular schools. Drawing from a case study of an elementary school undergoing demographic shifts in its student population, this article examines the scope and consequences of middle-class parents' collective engagement. The research reveals that parents brought new resources and educational opportunities to the school, yet their engagement through the parent-teacher organization (PTO) and the school's reliance on their contributions engendered tensions and exacerbated existing status positions among parents. The findings highlight the limitations of positioning middle-class parental engagement as a key intervention strategy in urban education. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The study was to analyze the role, responsibilities and active participation of Parent Teacher Association (PTA) with respect to structural, functional and pedagogical aspects of the system. It was also to find out how far PTA worked for the representation and satisfaction of community. The study was carried out, in all four hundred six (406) educational institutions, including 20 Islamabad Model Colleges, working under the administrative control of Federal Directorate of Education. All the PTA Presidents were administered a questionnaire consists of 23 statements about structural, functional and pedagogical aspects. 230 (70%) filled questionnaires were received back. The data collected was analyzed through calculating mean, standard deviation and ANOVA which revealed that the Presidents of (PTA) demanded a uniform education system in Islamabad Capital Territory. PTA is fully representing the society and fulfilling its due role in this regard. They are satisfied and involved in academic decision making, administrative problems and utilization of funds. Their suggestions are also given due regard and a continuous open channel exist. The Presidents of PTA are not satisfied with the teaching facilities, methodologies and present curriculum as it is not fulfilling the societal needs. It is recommended to develop a uniform system of educational institutions in Islamabad Capital Territory. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This research was conducted at Universidade Estadual Paulista, Campus of Presidente Prudente, and was supported by FAPESP. The aim of this study was to analyze how the public sees the program frequenter on central themes such as violence, improving education and school and community approach in relation to geographic location of the school within a range of social exclusion. The methodology used was based on a quantitative model of non-experimental, with data analysis using the nonparametric Kruskal-Wallis test. The locus of the study was the city Presidente Prudente, São Paulo, Brazil, based on four state schools placed in different areas of the city. It was found that the mean values of the responses vary according to geographical position, but statistically significant difference between respondents and regions is confirmed only in the item analysis on the presence of violence in and around schools. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Between- and within-family changes in 4 dimensions of parent involvement in children's learning were examined from prekindergarten to kindergarten and from kindergarten to first grade. Children's literacy, language, and mathematics skills were individually assessed at prekindergarten entry and end of first grade. Parents' provision of cognitive stimulation decreased overall from prekindergarten to kindergarten (d = -.26) and from kindergarten to first grade (d = -.53), and variety of out of- home experiences increased from kindergarten to first grade (d = .30). A substantial percentage of the sample increased or decreased their participation in home-based or school-based activities. The degree of change in parent provision of cognitive stimulation from kindergarten to first grade and variety of out-of-home experiences from prekindergarten to kindergarten predicted children's first-grade mathematics skills. Increases in home learning resources from prekindergarten to kindergarten were associated with higher first-grade mathematics outcomes of children with lower prekindergarten-entry mathematics skills. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Perspectives on academic and social aspects of children’s school experiences were obtained from deaf and hearing children and their (deaf or hearing) parents. Possible differences between (1) the views of children and their parents and (2) those of hearing children and their parents compared to deaf children and their parents were of particular interest. Overall, parents gave their children higher school friendship ratings than the children gave themselves, and hearing children and their parents were more positive about children’s friendships than were deaf children and their parents. Both children and parents also saw deaf children as less successful in reading than hearing children. However, deaf children having deaf parents, attending a school for the deaf and using sign language at home all were associated with more positive perceptions of social success. Use of cochlear implants was not associated with perceptions of greater academic or social success. These and related findings are discussed in the context of parent and child perspectives on social and academic functioning and particular challenges confronted by deaf children in regular school settings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The legacy of defectology, Vygotsky’s theoretical work on children with disabilities, still offers a useful approach in disability research. Vygotsky understood disability as an incongruence between the individual’s psychological structure and the structure of cultural forms. The incongruence describes a dialectical relation between the person with a disability and the surrounding society. The aim of this study is to explore Vygotsky’s concept of incongruence. A case example is presented. Through video observation of a child with severe cerebral palsy (CP) and cognitive visual impairment, the incongruence is analysed in two settings: in school together with a teacher and at home together with his mother. Use of vision, arm movement and a Rolltalk (a computer for communication) were the categories selected for analysis. The results demonstrate how the impact of the boy’s cognitive visual impairment and CP differed depending on the interaction with the environment and on how his teacher and mother interacted with him. The dialectical dynamics of incongruence in each of the two settings created different levels of abilities/disabilities. It is argued that the dialectical psychological understanding of disability offers a useful approach to overcome dualistic understandings of the person with a disability and the surrounding society. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of this study is to compare the assessment results of social skills of students with mental retardation by their teachers and mothers through relational model by using descriptive statistics. The research group in this study consisted of mothers and teachers of 562 children with mental retardation aged between 6 and 12 who enrolled in special education schools and special classes. For 6-12 age group, Teacher Form of Social Skills Rating System (SSRS-TF) and Parent Form of Social Skills Rating System (SSRS-PF) were used to collect data. Initially, this study investigated whether there was a relation between the mother and teacher assessment results of social skills of students with mental retardation. Then it examined whether the social skills of students with mental retardation differ according to the various variables such as gender, age, level of retardation, and additional disability. According to the results of analysis, a high correlation was found between the total scores of social skills scale obtained after mother and teacher assessments. Additionally, a high correlation was found between externalizing behavior subscale score and hyperactivity subscale score and the assertiveness subscale score of teachers and parents forms. Moreover, a high correlation was observed between the total scores of problem behavior subscales of teachers and parents forms. There is a moderate relationship between cooperation skills subscales score, self-control skills subscales score and internalizing problem behaviors subscales score. In addition, the social skills of the girls are more than those of the boys, and their problem behaviors are lower than those of the males. The social skills of the students with mental retardation who are in 6-9 age group are significantly lower than those of the students who are in 10-12 age group, and problem behaviors do not differ according to age of the students. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Researchers and policy makers overwhelmingly stress the harmonious nature of parent involvement. Researchers have focused on individual forms of parent involvement, yet collective efforts of parents in parent-teacher organizations (PTOs) are a key dynamic in schools. Drawing on a case study of an elementary school in an upper-middle-class community, we show that very high levels of parent involvement led to many conflicts. There were three main sources of these routine conflicts. Parents and educators had different priorities—parents favored a warm, friendly, and nonbureaucratic environment while the principal favored an orderly, safe, and bureaucratic environment. There were battles over authority, particularly over the planning of events. And finally, the PTO was a volunteer organization with high levels of turnover, weak lines of communication, and minimal training. This case study suggests the need to reconceptualize our models of family involvement in schooling. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Communal School Feeding Programs (SFP) are based on local foods brought by children from home which are cooked and shared at school. These programs may be a sustainable food-based strategy for improving children's diets in low-resource areas. The objective of this study was to compare the dietary intakes of children who attend Day Care Centres (DCC) with communal SFP to children who do not attend any DCC or school in rural Ghana. Interviewer-administered questionnaires were used to collect dietary and other household information for 104 DCC and 89 non-DCC children aged two to five years living in two communities. In addition, the DCC lunches (ingredients and servings of each food preparation) were weighed. The Day Care Centres' lunch was higher in energy (by 64 kcal; p<0.001), but lower in calcium (by 18 mg; p=0.002), iron (by 1.3 mg; p<0.001) and zinc (by 0.2 mg; p=0.046) than the non-DCC lunch. DCC children ate more times in a day (4.2 ± 0.8 vs. 3.4 ± 0.6, p<0.001), had greater dietary diversity (7.2 ± 0.6 vs. 6.7 ± 1.0 food groups, p<0.001) and had higher daily intakes of energy (1140 ± 320 vs. 878 ± 240 kcal; p<0.001), calcium (282 ± 139 vs. 244 ± 118 mg; p=0.048), iron (12.4 ± 6.4 vs. 10.7 ± 4.7 mg; p=0.048) and zinc (0.40 ± 0.15 vs. 0.35 ± 0.11 mg; p=0.019) than non-DCC children. However, after controlling for total energy intake and other dietary, health and socio-demographic variables, daily iron and zinc intakes were lower in the DCC compared to the non-DCC group. Participation in the communal SFP was associated with higher quantity but not quality of children's diets. Communal SFP offer an opportunity to address specific population's micronutrient needs, using interventions to improve dietary quality such as point-of-use fortification, commercially fortified foods, or processed animal source food products. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The literature has lauded parental involvement as an effective strategy to increase student achievement, but schools still struggle with how to effectively involve parents of color and low-income families. In an effort to assess the effectiveness of the Epstein Model of Parental Involvement in high-poverty, high-minority schools, the authors conducted a case study of an urban elementary school that uses parental involvement practices stipulated in the model. This article provides implications for school counselors and suggestions for future research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

YOUNG CHILDREN SHIFT MEANINGS across multiple modes long before they have mastered formal writing skills. In a digital age, children are socialised into a wide range of new digital media conventions in the home, at school, and in communitybased settings. This article draws on longitudinal classroom research with a culturally diverse cohort of eight-year-old children, to advance new understandings about children's engagement in transmediation in the context of digital media creation. The author illuminates three key principles of transmediation, using multimodal snapshots of storyboard images, digital movie frames, and online comics. Insights about transmediation are developed through dialogue with the children about their thought processes and intentions for their multimedia creations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this article, three educators share case studies describing racial biases and segregationist practices in early schooling. The authors draw upon critical race theory as a lens and employ critical discourse analysis to uncover classed and raced biases within and across three early childhood contexts. While the cases are situated in specific public school settings - a parent teacher association (PTA) fundraiser, a mandated literacy program, and a read-aloud - they shed light onto a variety of contexts as these are all common phenomena in many American elementary schools. Together, the cases illustrate how racism has been normalized through familiar practices in early childhood settings. Through description and reflection, the authors suggest ways to start seeing the strange in the familiar, unpacking racialized practices across three settings, and advocating new ways of thinking about these common practices leading to change and transformation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Virtual worlds are online graphical environments that are becoming an increasingly large part of the online experience of young people. Virtual worlds have the potential to become one additional environment, like school, home, and the playground, where youth can learn, play, and grow. The physical world is becoming interconnected with virtual worlds, and it is important for researchers to understand how this will affect children's development. Virtual worlds technologies provide a unique opportunity to allow youth to explore many types of content creation, including customizable avatars, media galleries, and virtual representations of personal spaces. This ability for youth to create content can be an important means by which to support and encourage adolescent identity development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The topic for this article is parents' participation and willingness to participate in formalized home-school cooperation. The analyses are based on a nationwide survey among parents in lower secondary schools in Norway. A main finding is that parental involvement practices differ according to parents' level of education in the sense that parents with more formal education are more active than less educated parents. Also, the results indicate that parents with low formal education are insecure about their knowledge regarding academic matters, and that this works as a barrier for their participation in formalized home-school cooperation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article presents information on how reading teachers can engage students' families in children's education. The authors discuss the experience of increasing family involvement in education through school-family partnerships with the help of the Parent Teacher Association (PTA) organization. The role of family involvement in improvements in school attendance, educational interest and motivation, and student achievement is explored. The article includes a chart of online resources for encouraging relationships between families and schools the "Getting Involved" web site from the PTA, the "Parent Resources" web site from the International Reading Association, and the "Teaching Tips" web site from the everythingESL online resource company.

In this study, we examined changes in the early home learning environment as children approached school entry and whether these changes predicted the development of children's language and academic skills. Findings from a national sample of the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development Study of Early Child Care and Youth Development (N = 1,018) revealed an overall improvement in the home learning environment from 36 to 54 months of children's age, with 30.6% of parents of preschoolers displaying significant improvement in the home environment (i.e., changes greater than I SD) and with only 0.6% showing a decrease. More important, the degree of change uniquely contributed to the children's language but not to their academic skills. Home changes were more likely to be observed from mothers with more education and work hours and with fewer symptoms of depression. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study analyzed data of two freshmen cohorts to examine the effect existence of students' home city geographic characteristics on first-year persistence at a micropolitan university. The geographic factors including proximity and urbanicity of students' home city were combined with the other factors of students' background characteristics, financial aid, and university academic outcomes in the model development of first-year persistence by using sequential logistic regression. This study shows that in addition to academic major certainty and academic performance demonstrated from high school through university, the proximity of home city to campus has significant positive relationship with first-year students' persistence. Urbanicity of home city does not seem to influence first-year persistence. Practical implications with regard to addressing the student retention at rural universities are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: The relationships among maternal perceptions of racial discrimination, mother–teacher relationship quality, and school involvement were examined in this sample of 73 African American mothers of kindergarteners and first graders. Mothers reported time spent in school-related activities at home, their attitudes about the importance of school involvement, the quality of their interactions with their children''s teachers, and incidents of racial discrimination by their previous teachers. Mothers and their children''s teachers also reported on mothers'' involvement at school. Mother–teacher relationships moderated the association between perceived teacher discrimination and involvement in somewhat complicated ways. When mother–teacher interactions were more positive, mothers who perceived more discrimination tended to be less involved. In the context of a less positive mother–teacher interaction, greater perceived discrimination was associated with greater involvement. Results are discussed in terms of the potential effect on children''s outcomes and strategies by which to increase parents'' school involvement. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]