Parent Involvement Matters.Org provides free resources and information to schools, parents, and trainers working to increase parent involvement in education.

ParentingTeensOnline is a free monthly e-magazine for parents of teens ages 12-19. It offers practical, expert-guided advice and support on teen health, media and technology, drugs/alcohol, education, volunteering, sports, social issues, babysitting, sexuality ... and more. Parents can learn what's happening before they need to know it's happening. The site has a variety of interactive features, including as Ask An Expert (advisory board members respond to parent questions) and polls.

Pete Wright, an attorney with decades of experience in special education law – and his own memories of standing up before the U.S. Supreme Court to argue a case – attended oral arguments last week in the most recent special education case to reach the highest court. Wright shared his impressions with Connect for Kids Editor Susan Phillips.

Research shows that as many as 60 percent of students are “chronically disengaged” from school. This report from the Coalition for Community Schools offers evidence that community-based learning—which integrates different strategies, including service learning, place-based education, environmental and civic education, and work and community service—can help re-engage students using real-world content and issues. The community-based approach is linked with higher attendance rates, improved academic performance, and on-time graduation.

The national spotlight is shining on Detroit, as Superbowl XL roars into town. But after the glitz and glitter are gone, nearly half of the children in this beleaguered city will still be living in poverty, and Detroit will still be hard-pressed to provide basic services they need. Connect for Kids’ Cecilia Garcia looks at how one nonprofit organization, Communities in Schools of Detroit, is trying to pick up the slack.

The Center for Parent Leadership will present Parent Leaders: An Untapped Resource in Education in San Antonio, Texas.

Research shows that children who don't have healthy eating habits have lower test scores, increased absenteeism, difficulty concentrating and lower energy levels. School principals are key advocates in the fight for better student nutrition and wellness, but they need prodding and support from parents to make real change happen. This campaign is helping parents get active in their children’s schools – starting with a letter inviting principals to join the effort to get junk food out and physical activity in schools.

The Hassels, husband and wife, brought their experiences as parents, education policy wonks, and consultants on management and school leadership to the job of developing this "Picky Parent Guide" to choosing an elementary school.

Here’s a clear, accurate and easy-to-use manual for parents, teachers, and advocates working to eliminate persistent vestiges of racial discrimination in American schools, fifty years after the landmark Brown v. Board of Education decision.

In its fifth annual national poll of Americans on education issues, Educational Testing Service (ETS) found that the quality of the nation's high schools is a major concern. This survey revealed that Americans say our high schools are in need of dramatic improvements.