College retention is a topic of concern for many leaders of post-secondary institutions. This study explores the multifaceted elements of a summer bridge program aimed at bolstering college retention for minority first-generation students through a combination of mentorship, academic support, and community-building initiatives. The purpose of the…

Some of the most complicated issues facing school districts across the country revolve around resource allocation and student assignment planning. Determining school attendance boundaries, selecting sites for new schools, closing existing ones, balancing seat utilization while minimizing travel costs, and achieving socioeconomic diversity are all…

This case study of Florida State University (FSU) Panama City illustrates the essential importance of strong synergy among a branch campus, its main campus, and its community. The interdependence of the branch campus and its community is highlighted through discussion of the role of the campus administrator, various partnerships, and niche…

The Children's Services Council (CSC) of Palm Beach County funded Chapin Hall at the University of Chicago to conduct a 6-year longitudinal study to examine the use and effectiveness of an array of services in the county in promoting school readiness and school success and improving family functioning among children and families most in need of…

Relates the experience of Pinellas County, Florida, in achieving a voter-approved property tax increase on behalf of St. Petersburg Junior College, focusing on the use of volunteers and on older person's votes. (MB)

The Children's Services Council (CSC) of Palm Beach County commissioned Chapin Hall Center for Children to conduct a longitudinal study to examine the effects of this service system on children and families. The goal of the longitudinal study is to describe the characteristics and needs of families the service system is intended to serve, how they…

An estimated 10,000 volunteers of all ages and backgrounds perform many kinds of jobs each year in the Dade County (Florida) school system. Recruitment and training of volunteers, organization and operation, and the various programs are described in the article. (MF)

Schoolyard ecosystem programs, such as mini-farms, gardens, or nature trails on school grounds, are usually designed to promote greater insight and understanding of ecological relationships and develop an appreciation of an individual's responsibility for environmental quality. This paper focuses on evaluation practices of schoolyard habitat…

The manual focuses on the development of a school-level home/school information system to improve communication and understanding of special education programs. A step-by-step plan for developing such a system is addressed in terms of five major topics (sample subtopics in parentheses): basic information gathering (surveys and needs assessment),…

In a study of the critical factors affecting local decision making on school fiscal policy, socioeconomic factors, educational leadership, and community power structure were related to one another and to local financial effort in relation to ability. The study included 122 school districts of 20,000 population and above located in the states of…

A study of seven school districts in Florida indicates that factors associated with large scale, area-wide desegregation stir negative sentiments among parents. These negative sentiments have relatively little influence over behavior but apparently undercut attitudinal support for school desegregation. Parents in the seven school districts can be…