Single Parents and the Public Schools. How Does the Partnership Work? : NCCE Occasional Papers / Phyllis L. Clay.

In order to determine the nature of the partnership between single parents and the public schools, 1,237 single parents from 47 states were surveyed. The survey revealed the following parent attitudes: (1) many school-related activities are scheduled during the day when most single parents work; (2) school personnel seldom take the lead in communicating with noncustodial parents; (3) curriculum materials present the nuclear family as being "normal"; (4) there are not enough classes and group sessions for children about death, separation, or divorce; (5) there is a lack of availability of before- and after-school day care; (6) there are not enough late afternoon buses making after-school activities available to the children; and (7) there are not enough in-service training programs for school personnel on single-parent family/school issues. The following questions are addressed: (1) what assumptions are single parents encountering? (2) how do single parents view the attitudes of school personnel? (3) should the schools know a parent's marital status? (4) how do participants feel about the schools? and (5) how do single parents feel about their children's school behavior and achievement? Recommendations for both parents and schools are offered. A copy of the survey instrument and a list of resources (books, articles, periodicals, organizations, films, filmstrips, videotapes, curriculum materials, in-service training) are included. (BJV)

Microfiche. [Washington D.C.]: ERIC Clearinghouse microfiches : positive.