In this paper we study the impact on student absenteeism of a large school-based community crime monitoring program that employed local community members to monitor and report crime on designated city blocks during students' travel to and from school. We find that the program resulted in a 0.78 percentage point reduction in the school-level…

This research sought to uncover challenges that arose in the implementation of the Reflective Educational Approach to Character and Health (REACH) after-school programme in a low-income public school in New York City. Additionally, we wanted to find and share some of the lessons learned, to help others avoid our pitfalls when implementing quality…

It is estimated that as many as 20 percent of school-aged children in the United States have diagnosable mental health conditions, and schools are the primary location where children receive mental health services. Because of limited resources, school-community partnerships are recommended in the literature as a best practice for providing…

This article reveals the nature of actions, discussions and relationships which helped forge school-community partnerships for engaged student learning and wider community participation for students and families living under difficult socio-economic circumstances. Specifically, the article draws upon interviews with key personnel and staff…

Inner-city schools located in high poverty communities often operate with insufficient resources to meet the educational needs of students. Community residents serving as paraeducators offer the dual benefits of expanding instructional capacity and fostering family-school relationships, provided they are appropriately prepared and incorporated…

Describes the Urban League's Education Initiative, a program to improve the education of Black urban public school students. Program components are the following: (1) involvement of black parents, community groups, and business leaders; (2) focus on specific, measurable goals; (3) provision of direct services to students and parents; and (4) a…

A roundtable discussion by 13 educators from 6 school districts participating in the School-Community Connection initiative of the Institute for Responsive Education highlights the problems and successes of implementing programs aimed at community and parent involvement in the schools. Participants clearly advocated bringing community members into…

In 1970, the U.S. Office of Education, through the Bureau of Educational Personnel Development, initiated a program promoting community-school collaboration, which was called the Urban/Rural School Development Program. Designed to train educational personnel at a small number of schools in low-income communities characterized by student…

Describes examples of successful career programs indicative of the educational partnerships between large urban school districts and their communities. The Urban Education Studies examined more than 60 programs in five major urban school districts for awareness of student needs, career counseling, program diversity, work-study situations, and…

Profiles individual projects in six school districts across the country participating in the School-Community Connection initiative funded by the Institute for Responsive Education. These projects focus on school improvement through partnerships among schools, parents, and the community. Rural and urban elementary and secondary schools are…

Organizing a committed team to foster effective school-community partnerships is discussed, focusing on the critical role of leadership. Collaborative leadership, comprised of diverse members and different perspectives, is most successful. A list of qualities and skills that are necessary for collaborative leaders is provided. (LAJ)

The Parkway Program was designed to investigate the possibility that a high school could be organized independently of any fixed institutional facilities, whether these be a school building or a fixed faculty. One hundred and forty-three Philadelphia High School students were selected at random from among applicants representing all eight…

Two different approaches to community involvement in the schools are demonstrated by participants in the School-Community Connection initiative of the Institute for Responsive Education. The Wisconsin school district connects students to the outside environment, while the Hawaii district brings supportive networks into the school to nurture…

This report describes a study of the dynamic between selected reform support organizations (RSOs) and the school districts they have partnered with to promote educational reform. The report is directed toward the needs and interests of district leaders and was designed to help them understand district/RSO relationships so they can make informed…

Evaluation after two years of Project RAISE, a multifaceted program with seven community sponsors in the large Baltimore (Maryland) school district, indicates the effectiveness of using community adults as advocates and mentors in improving student attendance and some report card grades, but not promotion rates or standardized test scores. (SLD)