Traditionally, books on parent education have focused on techniques from a certain tradition, either behavioral or humanistic, that could be applied to any problem of parenting or child behavior change. These books have used a "cook-book" approach that is frequently oblivious to environmental conditions that influence behavior or take into account the individual differences of the children or families involved. This book highlights the complexity of our society and times by exploring the problems faced by diverse types of parents, children, and parenting situations. Moreover, the sensitive issues of parenting in unique populations are handled in a caring, straight-forward way with an emphasis on research-based parent education programs along with tips and strategies for everyday use. Premier text on parent education in diverse populations Features tips, strategies, websites and support for parents Based upon "cutting edge" research in parent education Models for developing problem-specific parenting programs Step-by-step parent education programs for low-incidence problems Features violence and crisis prevention and intervention skills for families

Many of today's parents yearn to live in or near the lively, culturally vibrant heart of the city—in diverse, walkable neighborhoods full of music and theater, accessible to museums and stores, awash in ethnic eateries, and radiating a true sense of community. This is a major shift from recent generations that saw middle class families trading urban centers for suburbs with lawns, malls, parks, and good schools. But good schools still matter. And standing in the way of many parents' urban aspirations is the question: Will the public schools in the city provide a strong education for my kids? To be sure, lots of parents favor sending their sons and daughters to diverse schools with children from a variety of racial and socioeconomic backgrounds. But can such schools successfully meet the educational needs of all those different kids? How do middle class children fare in these environments? Is there enough challenge and stimulation in schools that also struggle to help poor immigrant children reach basic standards? Is there too much focus on test scores? And why is it so hard to find diverse public schools with a progressive, child-centered approach to education? These quandaries and more are addressed in this groundbreaking book by Michael J. Petrilli, one of America's most trusted education experts and a father who himself is struggling with the Diverse Schools Dilemma.

"The Handbook of Family Diversity" fills this gap in scholarship by providing a comprehensive discussion of several key dimensions where families differ: race, socioeconomic status, family structure, sexual orientation, and gender. It is designed to inform and broaden the debate among students, family scholars, practitioners, and policymakers as to what constitutes a family and how families should function. Featuring commissioned chapters by prominent scholars from a variety of fields, The Handbook of Family Diversity discusses different types of families from widely varying social and economic backgrounds. These authoritative yet highly readable essays discuss important public policy issues pertaining to family diversity and describe the everyday realities of family interactions--the tensions and dynamics of intimacy, support, control, communication, and conflict. Multiple disciplinary, theoretical, and methodological perspectives are presented throughout the volume, providing evidence that there is no unified or monolithic perspective on families. Emphasizing the most current and cutting edge knowledge on family diversity, "The Handbook of Family Diversity" sets a new standard for research in this important and vital area of study.

Strengthen programs of family and community engagement to promote equity and increase student success! When schools, families, and communities collaborate and share responsibility for students′ education, more students succeed in school. Based on 30 years of research and fieldwork, the fourth edition of the bestseller School, Family, and Community Partnerships: Your Handbook for Action, presents tools and guidelines to help develop more effective and more equitable programs of family and community engagement. Written by a team of well-known experts, it provides a theory and framework of six types of involvement for action; up-to-date research on school, family, and community collaboration; and new materials for professional development and on-going technical assistance. Readers also will find: Examples of best practices on the six types of involvement from preschools, and elementary, middle, and high schools Checklists, templates, and evaluations to plan goal-linked partnership programs and assess progress CD-ROM with slides and notes for two presentations: A new awareness session to orient colleagues on the major components of a research-based partnership program, and a full One-Day Team Training Workshop to prepare school teams to develop their partnership programs. As a foundational text, this handbook demonstrates a proven approach to implement and sustain inclusive, goal-linked programs of partnership. It shows how a good partnership program is an essential component of good school organization and school improvement for student success. This book will help every district and all schools strengthen and continually improve their programs of family and community engagement.

Family-school partnerships are increasingly touted as a means of improving both student and school improvement. This recognition has led to an increase in policies and initiatives that offer the following benefits: improved communication between parents and educators; home and school goals that are mutually supportive and shared; better understanding of the complexities impinging on children’s development; and pooling of family and school resources to find and implement solutions to shared goals. This is the first comprehensive review of what is known about the effects of home-school partnerships on student and school achievement. It provides a brief history of home-school partnerships, presents evidence-based practices for working with families across developmental stages, and provides an agenda for future research and policy. Key features include: provides comprehensive, cross-disciplinary coverage of theoretical issues and research concerning family-school partnerships. describes those aspects of school-family partnerships that have been adequately researched and promotes their implementation as evidence-based interventions. charts cutting-edge research agendas & methods for exploring school-family partnerships. charts the implications such research has for training, policy and practice especially regarding educational disparities. This book is appropriate for researchers, instructors, and graduate students in the following areas: school counseling, school psychology, educational psychology, school leadership, special education, and school social work. It is also appropriate for the academic libraries serving these audiences.

A guide to the latest tools for teaching effective and positive parenting skills In the last three decades, parent training has established itself as an empirically sound, highly successful, and cost-effective intervention strategy for both pre-venting and treating behavior disorders in children. Handbook of Parent Training, Third Edition offers a unique opportunity to learn about the latest research findings and clinical developments in parent training from leading innovators in the field. Featuring new chapters, this thoroughly revised and updated edition covers issues that have emerged in recent years. Readers will find the latest information on such topics as: * Behavioral family intervention for childhood anxiety * Working with parents of aggressive school-age children * Preventive parent training techniques that support low-income, ethnic minority parents of preschoolers * Treating autism and Asperger's Syndrome * Parenting and learning tools including role playing and modeling positive and effective parenting styles Offering practical advice and guidance for parent training, each chapter author begins by identifying a specific problem and then describes the best approach to identifying, assessing, and treating the problem. In every instance, descriptions of therapeutic techniques are multimodal and integrate theory, research, implementation strategies, and extensive case material. Handbook of Parent Training, Third Edition is a valuable professional resource for child psychologists, school psychologists, and all mental health professionals with an interest in parent skills training.

The 21st Century Parent emphatically remind us that the missing ingredient in closing the gaps in achievement is heaping measure of parent engagement and community. This is one-of-a kind book, even the most savvy expert will find novel advice and useful tools, sample school practices, and strategies. The book is outstanding resources recognizing and building upon asset that Parents and communities bring in creating partnership for children’s school success. Packed with tips for parents, principals and teachers, resource tools, and an invaluable guide for engaging parents, The 21st Century Parent reveals how to build strong collaborative relationships and offers practical advice for improving interactions between parents and teachers, from insuring that parents are constructive and inclusive to navigating the complex issues surrounding diversity in the classroom and how parents can be transformative change agents for their children and their schools. Written with candor, clarity, and humor, 21st Century Parent is essential reading for teachers, parents on the front lines in public schools, and administrators and policy makers at all levels.