This column is a continuation in a series describing how collaboration among relevant stakeholders (e.g., parents, mental health professionals, community members) can enhance the implementation of effective practices to support children’s learning and development. In the previous column in the series, we described a variety of roles peers can have in the implementation of effective practices for students with and at risk for disabilities and strategies for developing and sustaining peer support programs in schools (Rowe et al., 2022). The purpose of this column is to describe different approaches to promote parent collaboration in the implementation of effective practices while addressing challenges that can undermine a collaborative process.

The table below lists (a) each effective practice in secondary transition, (b) the operational definition of the practice based on empirical research, (c) corresponding reference(s) used to establish the practice, and (d) the student population with whom the practice was established. The level of evidence [evidence-based, research-based, or promising]—is noted under each practice in brackets. Visit https://transitionta.org/topics/effective-practices/ for information pertaining to how these effective practices were identified.

This outdoor water scavenger hunt includes a set of linked learning experiences in which children will practice careful observation and documentation to identify places they can find water outside. LEARNING OBJECTIVES: Children will be able to identify water found in more than one location outside Children will be able to describe their observations of water outside using spoken words, writing, and/or pictures Children will compare and contrast predictions with documented observation

Years ago, I became one of the many educators to leave the classroom. When I was accepted into a doctoral program for educational policy, I joked that I had spent five years teaching and would spend the next five years trying to figure out what had happened to me. Like so many other educators, I could do something else and so I did. I became a leaver [...]

This historical and research review tracks how centralized policy has impacted school boards and the position of the superintendency, as related to local workforce, over time. The potential costs and benefits of such a shift are examined including the key themes of equity, special interest influence, and public democratic participation. Additional work should be done to examine such impact. Institutional theory is proposed as a potential lens for future analyses.

Review of: Yough, M., & Anderman, L. H. (2023). Teaching to prepare advocates. Information Age Publishing, Inc. (ISBN: 9798887300696) Excerpt: "Teaching to Prepare Advocates is the fourth volume in a larger six-part series, Theory to Practice: Educational Psychology for Teachers and Teaching. This volume is edited by Mike Yough and Lynley H. Anderson and split into two parts. Part 1 is the bulk of the text, with seven chapters focused on advocating for educational psychology. Part 2 devotes four chapters to advocating for students [...]"

Excerpt: "Scholars have documented that when John Dewey formed an experimental university-based school in Chicago in 1896, he intended that research be a component of laboratory schools (Camp-Mayhew et al., 1936; Durst, 2010). However, the realities of teaching and the bureaucratic structures of higher education present obstacles to engaging in meaningful empirical work. Additionally, the majority of laboratory schools have converted from their original form as public, university-based institutions of innovative teaching and research to private, tuition-based institutions or to public facilities attended primarily by the children of university faculty (Whitman, 2020). However, there are examples of laboratory schools that still engage in research activities (e.g. Cutler, 2012; Weih & Ensworth, 2006; Wilcox- Herzog & McLaren, 2006) and all contemporary laboratory schools still list research among their missions and purposes, though the level and definition of research differs across institutions (Jozwiak & Vera, 2016)" [...]

Abstract Objective In this study we explored the associations among divorced parents' perceptions of the benefits and risks of dating and parents' sharing of private information about dating, specifically information related to the timing of introducing dating partners to children and coparents and disclosures to children about dating activities. Background Relatively little is known about how divorced parents decide how open they should be about disclosing information about dating partners. Method A convenience sample comprised 284 divorced mothers and 117 divorced fathers recruited following a state-mandated divorce education program. Participants completed an online survey. Data were analyzed with regression analyses. Results When parents perceive the dating partner as a benefit in coparenting their children, they are more likely to think that dating partners should be introduced earlier to children and that more information about dating relationships should be shared with children. Concerns about other's perceptions were related to later introductions between dating partners and children. Conclusion Some of the divorced parents' perceptions of possible dating benefits and risks are related to introducing a new partner and sharing dating information with children. Implications Family practitioners could help divorced parents evaluate both how to approach introduction of dating parents, as well as dating partners' potential to assist them in childrearing if the relationship becomes serious or long term. More research is needed on what goes into parental decisions to disclose information about dating to children.

Three-year-old Kasey has cerebral palsy (CP) with seizures. He often pushes books away, putting his head down instead. Kasey is learning preliteracy skills and enjoys manipulating objects but has great difficulty with fine motor abilities. Kasey’s twin, Kolby, also has CP. He enjoys having books read to him. He will often seek out books during check-out time, but he cannot interact with them on his own because of fine motor difficulties. His strengths include enjoying the computer with an adaptive switch, and he has the ability to understand key concepts in a story. Chandler is an active four-year-old with language delay, who often engages in imaginary play where he fights with ninjas during storytime. He seldom initiates looking at books, and when he does, he folds the pages, bends the corners of the book, or even tears the pages. During sensory activities such as playing in sand, finger painting, and playing with play dough, he is very attentive and will not leave that area. His strengths include his sustained attention to the sensory area and manipulatives table, his imagination, and his understanding of simple plots.

Assistive technology (AT) is defined as any piece of equipment that improves the functional skills of an individual with a disability. AT choices range from low tech (e.g., communication boards made of cardboard and felt, pencil grips) to high tech (e.g., computer applications, screen readers, specialized software or other curriculum aids; Center on Technology and Disability, 2018).