Includes bibliographical references and index.

Introduction to families -- Families and their function - past and present -- Diversity among families -- Parents' perspectives on parenting -- Teachers and parenting -- Parent-teacher communication -- Parent involvement in education -- Families and their children with disabilities -- Family-involvement models -- Education law and parental rights -- Family violence -- Poverty: the enemy of children and families -- Fatherhood, society, and school -- School choices in education -- Implications of home-school partnerships for school violence and bullying -- Finding a voice for children: advocacy in action.