Author Description

The papers in this volume, commissioned by RMC Research Corporation for the Office of Educational Research and Improvement, were adapted to reflect the input of participants at a national conference in Washington, DC in June 1992 on middle grades parent and community involvement. Part I reviews the literature in five chapters that focus on the context of parent and community involvement programs, their development, and their impact. The synthesis of literature reveals that parents can be the primary resource in the education of their children, and that parents and community members can be resources for education in school settings and in other programs. Part II includes five commissioned papers: (1) "Comprehensive Districtwide Reforms in Parent and Community Involvement Programs" (Nancy Fehl Chavkin); (2) "School Restructuring To Facilitate Parent and Community Involvement in the Middle Grades" (Janet Chrispeels); (3) "School and Family Partnerships in the Middle Grades" (Joyce L. Epstein and Lori Connors); (4) "Activities in the Home that Support School Learning in the Middle Grades" (Diane Scott-Jones); and (5) "Bringing Schools and Communities Together in Preparation for the 21st Century" (Patrick M. Shields). An appendix contains an annotated bibliography of 44 sources. Individual papers contain references. (SLD)