Preparing Teachers To Work with Parents. ERIC Digest.

Though the benefits of working with families are documented, teacher education programs and school districts offer limited educational opportunities to new teachers. Until recently, most state certification departments did not require courses on family involvement in preservice education. During the late 1990s, the number of states requiring that teachers possess knowledge and skills related to parent and community involvement increased significantly. A recent survey of 96 teacher education programs found that 22 offered courses on parent involvement (developed for special education or early childhood teachers), though they were not required. Most programs interwove parent involvement issues into existing courses. Other studies show that early childhood and special education receive disproportionate amounts of parent involvement attention within university preparation and in school practice. Teachers consider working with parents important to children's positive school outcomes. If teachers do not receive such training during preservice education, opportunities to acquire it within the schools are limited. Three national hubs are the most promising sources for information, training, and support to new teachers, connecting schools, districts, and states into networks of sharing, development, and assessment. Legislation is needed that supports teacher education in meeting necessary requirements to work effectively with families across all 50 states. (SM)