Building Successful Partnerships: a Guide for Developing Parent and Family Involvement Programs. (Professional Books).BUILDING SUCCESSFUL PARTNERSHIPS: A Guide for Developing Parent and Family Involvement Programs. National PTA PTA or parent-teacher association: see parent education. . Bloomington, IN: National Education Service, 2000. 237pp. $18.95. This practical guide is intended for parents, teachers, administrators, and community partners interested in strengthening family and parent involvement in education. Although most people would agree that students perform best when their parents are involved, the challenge is putting this knowledge into practice. Chapter 1 summarizes research, presented in a readable read·a·ble adj. 1. Easily read; legible: a readable typeface. 2. Pleasurable or interesting to read: a readable story. bullet format, about parent involvement in school. Chapters 2 to 7 focus on the PTA's National Standards for Parent / Family Involvement Programs and address different types of parent involvement, communication, parenting styles Parenting style is a psychological construct representing standard strategies parents use in raising their children. One of the best known theories of parenting style was developed by Diana Baumrind. , student learning, volunteering, school decision-making, and collaboration. Each chapter summarizes research and offers tips for meeting the standards. Each chapter ends with examples of how different PTA groups put these standards into practice for children from pre-kindergarten to high school. Throughout the book, the authors provide ideas on reaching families from a variety of backgrounds, and explain the importance of understanding cultural differences, especially language barriers. Although some chapters are pertinent, the authors do not provide specific information on reaching parents of children with special needs. This reviewer re·view·er n. One who reviews, especially one who writes critical reviews, as for a newspaper or magazine. reviewer Noun a person who writes reviews of books, films, etc. Noun 1. has found that these families often feel isolated from other families, and so the text would have been strengthened by specific advice for this group. The authors do emphasize the importance of accepting and including all families, reminding readers that many families are unfamiliar with and intimidated in·tim·i·date tr.v. in·tim·i·dat·ed, in·tim·i·dat·ing, in·tim·i·dates 1. To make timid; fill with fear. 2. To coerce or inhibit by or as if by threats. by school bureaucracy, and put off by condescension con·de·scen·sion n. 1. The act of condescending or an instance of it. 2. Patronizingly superior behavior or attitude. [Late Latin cond . The appendix includes several sample surveys, guidelines guidelines, n.pl a set of standards, criteria, or specifications to be used or followed in the performance of certain tasks. for developing an action plan, and a contact list for resource organizations. The authors recognize that other groups beyond the PTA may find this book useful as a how-to guide for encouraging parent/family involvement. Reviewed by Mary Ellen Bardsley, Teacher, Buffalo, NY |
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