Helpful Family Resource Guides & Info

"I Statements" - Communicating with a child by using feeling language, or "I" statements, allows feelings to be "heard" about a situation without placing blame or drawing a defensive or argumentative response from the child.  This article and accompany video vignettes describe how.

"You Done Good, Kid!" - Praise Your Child's Positive Choices - Nothing motivates people to do their best like praise. This article uses a case study to demonstrate how and provides tips on ways to motivate children to encourage healthy behaviors.

It's All In The Family:  Mental Health Link Between Parents and Children - This article talks about the impact of parents' mental health on the emotional well-being of children, and what parents can do to change a negative impact into a more positive one.

Know What Your Child is Doing on the Internet  - Internet use among youth is greater than that of adults and can be both a good and bad influence.  This article discusses what parents need to know to make the internet experience a positive one for children.

Video Vignettes  - For your convenience, a page has been created just for viewing Family Guide video vignettes.  This page will be updated frequently, so visit often!

Resources from  the National Center for
Education Statistics (NCES)

New Report on Public High School Dropouts and Completers from NCES - The NCES has released a report entitled "Public High School Dropouts and Completers from the Common Core of Data:  School Year 2000-01."  This report presents state-level public high school dropout and completion rates from the Common Core of Data  The report uses an annual event dropout rate and a 4-year high school completion rate and presents data for the 2000-01 school year.

Research Synthesis:  The Impact of School, Family, and Community Connections on Student Achievement - The NCES Education Statistics Quarterly offers an accessible, convenient overview of all NCES products released in a given quarter.  Each issue includes:  short publications (those less than 15 pages in length) in their entirety, executive summaries of longer publications, descriptive paragraphs of other NCES products, as well as notices about training and funding opportunities.  In addition, each issue include a featured publication with invited commentary pieces, a note on a current topic from a staff member, and a message from NCES.

Report on  High School Guidance Counseling - The NCES has released a report entitled "High School Guidance Counseling."  This report describes high school guidance programs, activities, and staff at U.S. public high school guidance programs, activities, and staff at U.S. public high schools during the 2001-02 school year.  It provides national estimates on:  the goals, plans, and features of guidance programs; the guidance activities engaged in by eleventh- and twelfth-grade students, the professional characteristics of guidance staff, and professional development of guidance counselors.  In addition to presenting current data from the 2002 survey, this report compares findings with the 1984 supplement to the High School and Beyond Longitudinal survey (HS&B) data concerning program goals, written plans, and guidance activities.  To download and print a report as a pdf file, please click the above link.

Network for Collegiate Alcohol and Other Drug Issues Announces New Web Site - The Network is the national organization that proactively addresses the issues of alcohol, other drugs, and violence (AODV) to promote healthy campus environments through self-regulatory initiatives, information dissemination, and technical assistance.  Begun in 1987 by the U.S. Department of Education, the Network is a voluntary membership organization whose member institutions agree to adhere to a set of standards aimed at reducing alcohol and other drug problems at colleges and universities.  It now has over 1,400 members nationwide.  The Network has recently launched its new web site.  Features of the web site include: 

The Network Standards - Guidelines for institutions of higher education addressing alcohol and other drug issues on their campuses and in surrounding communities are outlined here.  Over the last 10 years, the Standards have provided a framework for institutional activities and task force initiatives, models for federal and state legislation, and a focal point for action on reducing AODV problems among students.

Members - This page provides links to a clickable map of Network regions, a list of regional coordinators' contact information, and a searchable Network membership directory.

The Network Blog - Recent editions of News from the Front are posted on to this web log, as well as other relevant news items and announcements.