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Findings of a study that examined effective parent involvement programs in selected Texas secondary schools are presented in this paper. Surveys were mailed to a total sample of 464 respondents in 35 secondary schools identified as exemplary--35 principals, 35 counselors, 175 teachers, 175 parents, 22 district superintendents, and 22 district school board presidents. A total of 229 surveys were completed, a 49 percent response rate. Onsite visits were also conducted at two middle and three high schools in the sample, where parents and school personnel were interviewed. Findings indicate that parent participation in school-based decision making (budgeting, staffing patterns, curriculum, etc.) is limited and generally not desired by school personnel or parents. Parents' lack of involvement is due to misunderstandings, not a lack of time. Recommendations are made for improving parent participation programs: offer a broad spectrum of activities; meet parents' needs; delineate a clear plan; involve the entire community; and reach out to nontraditional parents. Three figures and 17 tables are included. (Contains 92 references.) (LMI)

There are thousands of different inservice education programs. The purposes of this study were to identify the elements of effective teacher inservice education; to measure to what degree these elements actually exist in inservice education programs reported by Texas teachers; and to develop a strategy for effective teacher inservice. A modified Delphi technique was used to validate a list of elements of effective teacher inservice education derived from a literature survey. A panel of 60 experts on inservice education was invited to indicate the relative importance of each element using a Likert-type scale. This procedure listed 29 elements of effective teacher inservice education. The list of 29 elements was submitted to two schools--an elementary and a secondary school--in each of the 1,071 school districts in Texas. Principals were asked to have a teacher in their school respond to the survey. From the 2,142 questionnaires distributed, responses were received on 720 (34 percent), rating the elements on a five-point scale from nonexistent to very evident. The mean ranking of each element was then calculated. Although unsolicited, 15 respondents added comments expressing an overall dissatisfaction with teacher inservice education. Most were concerned with dull, boring inservice programs, while others were dissatisfied with the role inservice programs are assuming as a result of the Texas Teacher Appraisal System. The final purpose of the study, to develop a strategy for effective teacher inservice, was considered met by the identification of these 29 elements of effective inservice education. (MLF)