ABSTRACT
The trend among schools to reach out and support children and families has precedence; for many years schools have addressed children's needs for a variety of nonacademic services such as breakfast and lunch, and many schools have had guidance counselors and school nurses on the staff. The efforts to change schools to respond better to the needs of families have been implemented on an ad hoc basis and are included in only a fraction of the schools. Along with the increased awareness of the importance of parent involvement has come a surge of new research that has shown that from the moment of birth children are actively learning about their environment. Some schools, in an effort to address the needs of children and families, are forging alliances with community-based organizations and health and social service agencies. The implementation of the School of the 21st Century differs from school to school.
