Regional Lab Home Page
During the last contract period (1990-1995), most of the laboratories collaborated on the development of Continuity in Early Education: A Framework for Home, School, and Community Linkages (1995). This document is intended for use by communities to support and facilitate the continuity of services for children ages birth - 8, and their families.
Northeast and Islands Laboratory at Brown (LAB)
222 Richmond Street, Suite 300
Providence, RI 02903-4226
Phone: (401) 274-9548 or
(800) 521-9550
Fax: (401) 421-7650
E-mail: LAB@brown.edu
Internet: http://www.lab.brown.edu
Director: Dr. Phil Zarlengo, Acting
States Served: CT, ME, MA, NH, NY, RI, VT, PR, VI
Specialty: Language and Cultural Diversity
Program Officer: Lynn Spencer (202) 219-2179
lynn_spencer@ed.gov
RMC Research, one of the LAB's partners, will undertake a multi-year effort to explore ways to build parent-community-business support for school reforms that focus on high achievement for all children. The intent of this applied research project is to identify strategies and materials to build parental and public support for the standards-based school reform movement.
Mid-Atlantic Laboratory for Student Success (LSS)
Temple University, CRHDE
933 Ritter Annex
13th St. and Cecil B. Moore Ave
Philadelphia, PA 19122
Phone: (215) 204-3030
Fax: (215) 204-5130
E-mail: lss@vm.temple.edu
Internet: http://www.temple.edu/lss/
Director: Dr. Margaret C. Wang
States Served: DE, MD, NJ, PA, DC Specialty Area: Urban Education
Program Officer: Greg Dennis
(202) 219-1919
gregory_dennis@ed.gov
Appalachia Educational Laboratory (AEL)
Post Office Box 1348
Charleston, WV 25325-1348
Phone: (304) 347-0400 or (800) 624-9120
Fax: (304) 347-0487
E-mail: aelinfo@ael.org
Internet: http://www.ael.org
Director: Dr. Terry L. Eidell
States Served: KY, TN, VA, WV
Specialty Area: Rural Education
Program Officer: Kathy Fuller
(202) 219–2281
kathy_fuller@ed.gov
Relevant publications include:
Family Connections 1 (1992) for preschool and Family Connections 2 (1993) for kindergarten and early primary grades. These guides, designed to help families be more effectively involved in their children's education, can be used by staff conducting home visits, teachers who want to send the weekly guides home with students, and program staff who can mail them directly to interested parents. The weekly guides include a message to parents on topics such as the importance of reading aloud, effective discipline, and using the public library, as well as suggestions for developmentally appropriate activities parents and children can do together.
Parents and Schools: From Visitors to Partners (1993). This book, part of the National Education Association's Restructuring Series, draws on the experiences of educators and parents who have developed successful home-school partnerships. It includes a review of research on parent involvement, strategies to initiate and maintain effective two-way communication between home and school, in-depth descriptions of exemplary parent involvement programs, a summary of parent involvement practices found in successful school programs, and a list of resources educators and parents can use to plan, implement, and evaluate partnership efforts.
Partnerships: Sharing Responsibility for Children (1993). This issue of Policy Briefs presents the need for schools, families, and communities to work together for children, describes actions schools can take to involve families and communities, and suggests what policy makers can do to promote and support effective partnerships. It concludes with a review of parent involvement activities in Kentucky, Tennessee, Virginia, and West Virginia, and highlights exemplary parent involvement programs in each of the four states.
Southeastern Regional Vision for Education (SERVE)
Post Office Box 5367
Greensboro, NC 27435
Phone: (910) 334-3211 or (800) 755-3277
Fax: (910) 334-3268
E-mail: info@SERVE.org
Internet: http://www.serve.org
Director: Dr. Roy H. Forbes
States Served: AL, FL, GA, MS, NC, SC
Specialty: Early Childhood Education
Program Officer: Deborah Williams (202) 219-2204
deborah_williams@ed.gov
Relevant publications include:
Supporting Family Involvement in Early Childhood Education: A Guide for Business (1992) is a publication that shows how businesses and other organizations can increase parent and community involvement in young children's education. It describes progressive efforts, such as instituting family leave policies, establishing a family-oriented philosophy, working with teachers and students, and providing other assistance to schools. Many examples of companies with family-friendly policies are featured. This publication is scheduled to be revised in late 1997.
Families and Schools: An Essential Partnership (1996) is intended for pre-K through third grade educators who are interested in developing effective family involvement strategies, programs, and partnerships. It addresses the new evolving role of families in young children's education and suggests practices educators might use to build strong family-school partnerships. This document also provides descriptions of exemplary programs, suggestions for implementation, and information regarding contact personnel.
North Central Regional Educational Laboratory (NCREL)
1900 Spring Road, Suite 300
Oak Brook, IL 60521–1480
Phone: (630) 571-4700
Fax: (630) 571-4716
E-mail: info@ncrel.org
Internet: http://www.ncrel.org
Director: Dr. Jeri Nowakowski
States Served: IL, IN, IA, MI, MN, OH, WI
Specialty Area: Educational Technology
Program Officer: Mary Campbell (202) 219-2130
mary_campbell@ed.gov
Relevant publications and activities include:
NCREL has prepared a literature synthesis on the School-Family Partnership, that cites research done on the importance of parent involvement in increasing student achievement and improving students' attitudes. Topics covered in the synthesis include supporting teacher-parent relationships; roles for parents; at-home activities; how comprehensive parent involvement efforts need to be; parent involvement and grade level; and working with minority families.
NCREL operates "Pathways to School Improvement," an Internet server. Pathways provides information on the latest in education research, synthesized and arranged in varying levels of depth. Information on parent and family involvement is available through Pathways and new materials are added monthly. You can reach Pathways through the Internet at http://www.ncrel.org/ncrel/sdrs/pathways.htm
Southwest Educational Development Laboratory (SEDL)
211 East Seventh Street
Austin, TX 78701-3281
Phone: (512) 476-6861
Fax: (512) 476-2286
E-mail: jpollard@sedl.org
Internet: http://www.sedl.org
Director: Dr. Wesley Hoover
States Served: AR, LA, NM, OK, TX
Specialty: Language and Cultural Diversity
Program Officer: Gil Garcia
(202) 219-2144
gil_garcia@ed.gov
Relevant publications include:
Building Home, School, and Community Partnerships (1995) is a set of three booklets that identify key issues in the development of home, school, and community partnerships and provide lessons learned from five demonstration sites.
Directory of Partnership Programs (1995) is an updated directory for schools, parent organizations and community agencies in the region interested in information about how partnerships can address the needs of young children and youth who are at risk of dropping out of school.
Guides to Partnering and Early Childhood (1985) is a set of six Positive Parent Booklets written with parents in mind. They impart valuable skills to parents of younger children. One booklet, for example, describes how children learn by watching and helping out. Another describes strategies parents can use to help their children learn basic reading skills.
Mid-Continent Research for Education and Learning (McREL)
2550 South Parker Road
Aurora, CO 80014-1678
Phone: (303) 337-0990
Fax: (303) 337-3005
E-mail: info@mcrel.org
Internet: http://www.mcrel.org
Director: Dr. J. Timothy Waters
States Served: CO, KS, MO, NE, ND, WY
Specialty: Curriculum, Learning and Instruction
Program Officer: Annora Bryant (202) 219-2087
annora_bryant@ed.gov
Relevant publications include:
Increasing Parental Involvement: A Key to Student Achievement, by Dan Jesse, is a brief how-to document that includes a "Checklist for Improving Parental Involvement" for schools to use. The text can be reviewed on the Internet at: http://www.mcrel.org/products/noteworthy/danj.html
WestEd
730 Harrison Street
San Francisco, CA 94107
Phone: (415) 565-3000
Fax: (415) 565-3012
E-mail: tross@WestEd.org
Internet: http://www.WestEd.org
Acting Director: Dr. Edward Myers
States Served: AZ, CA, NV, UT
Specialty: Assessment and Accountability
Program Officer: Sharon Horn
(202) 219-2203
sharon_horn@ed.gov
Northwest Regional Educational Laboratory (NWREL)
101 SW Main Street, Suite 500
Portland, OR 97204-3212
Phone: (503) 275-9500 or
(800) 547-6339
Fax: (503) 275-9489
E-mail: info@nwrel.org
Internet: http://www.nwrel.org
Director: Dr. Ethel Simon-McWilliams
States Served: AK, ID, MT, OR, WA
Specialty Area: School Change Processes
Program Officer: Carol Mitchell (202) 219-2128
carol_j._mitchell@ed.gov
Relevant publications and services include:
NWREL's Child and Family Program staff provides training on four comprehensive integrated services modules in Working Respectfully with Parents: A Practical Guide for Educators and Human Service Workers. Module topics are: The Child, the Family, and the Community: Developing Partnerships with Families; Creating Family-Friendly Schools and Home, School, and Community Partnerships.
The NWREL's website has a forum specifically for parents. "Parents: Let's Talk," identifies resources and helpful hints for parents who want to be involved in their children's education. The text can be reviewed on the Internet at: http://www.nwrel.org/comm/monthly/together.html
School and Community: Towards a Guide to Parent Involvement is a guide produced in 1990 that offers an array of tips and strategies for breaking down school/parent barriers and bringing parents into their children's educational lives. The guide identifies steps to design and implement effective parent involvement efforts, clearly outlining roles and responsibilities for each key player.
Pacific Region Educational Laboratory (PREL)
828 Fort Street Mall, Suite 500
Honolulu, HI 96813-4321
Phone: (808) 533-6000
Fax: (808) 533-7599
E-mail: askprel@prel.hawaii.edu
Internet: http://www.prel.org/
Director: Dr. John W. Kofel
Region Served: HI, American Samoa, Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, Federated States of Micronesia, Guam, Republic of the Marshall Islands, Republic of Palau
Specialty: Language and Cultural Diversity
Program Officer: Joe Wilkes
(202) 219-2186
joe_wilkes@ed.gov
Relevant materials include:
PREL recently produced an audiotape series entitled "Reading Aloud to Children." This series, which was created in Hawaiian/English, Marshallese/English, Pohnpeian/English, and Samoan/English, targets parents and families. Each tape includes a rationale on the importance of reading aloud to children and a demonstration of a read-aloud session with local stories.
Pacific Center staff are facilitating the networking process of all programs within the Hawaii Department of Education that contain family and parent support components. A curriculum framework for adult literacy is being developed with the Waipahu Ohana Center.
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