Recently, various scholars have remarked that university continuing education (UCE) is moving away from one of its original core foci, that of social justice. In this article, the possible causes of this are discussed, including current political environments, the role of universities and academics in perpetuating or disrupting the status quo, and…

Researchers and policy makers have questioned the efficacy of family-involvement interventions. They believe that more studies are needed to compare outcomes of students whose families received a partnership intervention with those who did not. The author used data from the state of Ohio to compare student attendance in elementary schools that…

Proceedings are presented of twenty public hearings conducted by the advisory council for technical-vocational education in Texas. The objectives of the hearings were to provide an opportunity for citizens to give input as to needs, assessment of resources, and dialogue regarding technical-vocational, adult, and manpower programs. The first three…

The Minneapolis Accountability Project was an effort of the Minneapolis Public Schools to provide greater accountability to the public by helping citizens evaluate school programs. Citizens' study groups were provided with staff to help them in a year-long study of a topic selected by a citizen's advisory board. Study committees met weekly…

The issue of quality in substance abuse treatment is often complicated due to persistent discrimination against people with drug and alcohol disease. The result is a self-perpetuating cycle of poor outcomes and misperceptions about the disease. However, research shows that treatment for drug and alcohol conditions, when properly delivered, can…

Factors in the development of relevance in the industrial arts curriculum are greater student participation in educational planning, teachers assuming active roles in development of centers of interest, greater social interaction, increased community participation, and a curriculum that involves more real-life experiences. (MS)

The role of the principal in community involvement is central to this article which discusses issues, problems, and strategies used by effective principals. Data are provided that reflect attitudes of citizens and principals toward the schools. (Author/LD)

Discusses the challenges of teacher retention and proposes that systems thinking can be used to address those challenges. Considers five strategies for retaining teachers. Suggests that the five strategies discussed can provide comprehensive programs to reduce teacher attrition and create stable teacher teams. (SG)

Analyzes the first three cohorts of a one-to-one community volunteer tutorial program, an integral part of the Charlottesville (Virginia) City Schools' plan to ensure that all first- and second-grade children learn to read. Demonstrates that two sessions of one-on-one tutoring per week by a trained, supported, and supervised community volunteer…

Society and the life experiences of children and youth changed considerably during the last century. Schools today are expected to do more than they have ever done in the past to implement effective educational approaches that promote academic success, enhance health, and prevent problem behaviors have grown significantly. Broad-based, school-wide…

This study examines how communities participate in schools across diverse contexts in developing countries and the results attributed to community participation. It reviews evaluations of participatory approaches to education in developing countries to answer two basic questions: 1) How do communities participate in school in developing countries?…

Community participation in program decision-making and implementation is an ideal that community and academic stakeholders aspire to in participatory research. This ideal, however, can be difficult to achieve. We describe lessons learned about community participation from a quasi-experimental trial aimed at reducing the uptake of smoking among…

The effectiveness of the community board in the mental health system specifically and in human service systems generally depends, to a large extent, on how the board's role and scope are defined and how its organizational structure and staffing procedures are developed. The development of community boards should be based upon the premises that (1)…

Describes a program designed to involve school and community persons in an action-oriented problem-solving process related to increased drug use in the schools. Results from three evaluative methods revealed that participants experienced personal learning, increased understanding and sensitivity to others. (Author)