NCJ Number
207339
Date Published
2003
Length
12 pages
Annotation
Under the effective continuum of community-based programs and services for at-risk children, this chapter provides examples from three existing parental involvement programs on the elementary school level and examines successful and unsuccessful program designs for future program development.
Abstract
It is important to examine programs and research literature which support parental involvement in elementary school programs. This chapter, illustrates the “lessons learned” from existing parental involvement programs. This illustration includes an examination of the design, program components, evaluation methods used, and a description of extensive implementation for the programs most thoroughly developed. There are three programs presented and examined in this chapter: (1) Victory-in-Partnership (VIP), (2) the Fast Track Project, and (3) Families and Schools Together (FAST). Main components to VIP include: weekly progress reports, parental involvement sessions, Saturday academy for parents, and onsite VIP coordinators. The Fast Track project is a comprehensive, multi-site intervention to prevent antisocial behavior for students identified as high risk in kindergarten. FAST assists at-risk youth develop relationships through a multifamily group approach to improve family communications and prevent delinquency and drug abuse. These three programs are identified as some of the more successful programs, with the essential element or theme of their success attributed to program leadership and staff having a very positive attitude. The programs demonstrate the workable combination of prescribed format and local determination which offer ideas and a framework or a process that suggests how to proceed. References