Solar eclipses are a rare phenomenon that everyone should have the opportunity to explore in depth. This article describes two programs developed by a science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) outreach center with the goal of bringing the excitement of eclipses to all learners. The STEM outreach center collaborated with local…

A key component of comprehensive school and higher ed emergency operations plans (EOPs) is an exercise program that includes the five types of exercises: (1) orientations, (2) tabletop exercises, (3) drills, (4) functional exercises, and (5) full-scale exercises. The exercise program can be developed during Step 5 of the six-step planning process…

The Carol M. White Physical Education Program (PEP) provides grants to districts and community-based organizations (CBOs) to initiate, expand, and improve physical education for students in kindergarten through grade 12. In 2010, the U.S. Department of Education issued new regulations for PEP that included the following: (1) requiring grantees to…

American youths are becoming increasingly less physically active and have poor nutrition habits. Nationwide, less than one third of students reported achieving the recommended level of physical activity (one hour of exercise per day). In addition, most youths consume less than the recommended daily amounts of vegetables, fruits, and whole grains.…

Each school day, our nation's schools are entrusted to provide a safe and healthy learning environment for approximately 55 million elementary and secondary school students in public and nonpublic schools. In collaboration with their local government and community partners, schools can take steps to plan for these potential emergencies through the…

As numerous studies from 1906 on have confirmed, children lose ground in learning if they lack opportunities for building skills over the summer. Nonetheless, summer learning loss comes up but rarely in the national discussion of education reform. By the end of summer, students perform on average one month behind where they left off in the spring.…

In "Renewing Our Commitment to Catholic Elementary and Secondary Schools in the Third Millennium," the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB; 2005) calls on Catholic colleges and universities to work with diocesan educational leaders to prepare leaders for Catholic schools. In response, the Creighton University Education…

Service learning has been defined as the integration of service with academic growth. It is a method through which young people learn and develop through active participation in thoughtfully organized service experiences. Service learning programs are individualized and unique, and to duplicate one program or to expect the same effects from one…

This article describes the "block home" program, neighborhood volunteers who provide a place of refuge when children encounter an emergency as they walk to and from school. Organization, purpose, and guidelines for planning and implementation are discussed. (IAH)

Ideas to help music teachers get ready for Music In Our Schools Month, March, 1986, are suggested. (RM)

The result of a cooperative effort between the Illinois Office of Education and the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction, this manual establishes a framework to help educators and concerned citizens plan and implement a local Right to Read program. Inherent in the philosophy reflected in this manual is the assumption that the impetus for…

A brief history of business/education partnership development (BEPD), using the development of the Boston Compact in 1975 as an illustrative case study, highlights several points: partnerships embrace diverse territory and goals; a partnership is a process, not an event; a partnership is a relationship between institutions and people within those…

This guide was developed to aid school administrators and school board members in leading the planning for a community approach to combat alcohol and drug abuse. It highlights critical aspects of the abuse problem among students in New York and explains the rationale for a cooperative planning effort by the school, the home, and the community. It…

This handbook is intended to help communities (particularly, but not exclusively, in Pennsylvania) develop adopt-a-school partnerships between local schools and businesses. Advantages of partnerships for both schools and their potential business partner are reviewed, and brief profiles of possible cooperative projects (many of which have already…

To help Georgia school administrators, educators, and community members, this handbook suggests ideas and plans for strengthening school-community relations and increasing community involvement in schools. The first section lays out the four steps district administrators should take in developing a systemwide community involvement program,…