This is an evaluation of a Title VII bilingual program that was conducted at Louis D. Brandeis High School in New York City in 1979-1980 to serve Spanish speaking students. The evaluation provides a demographic analysis of the schools's environment, information on student characteristics, and a program description. Instructional components of the…

Career development, life skills, and basic skills were important emphases in the experience-based career education program installed at two Virginia high schools. The program, call ExCEL (Exploring Careers through Experiential Learning), aimed to provide student experience in community learning sites and to integrate this with acquisition of…

The Urban Adult Education Institute (UAEI) directed activities in five major areas: professional and continuing education, adult basic education, systems analysis, employment, and community involvement. Because of a time lapse between activities and evaluation, professional and continuing education objectives and systems analysis objectives could…

This investigation attempts to develop guidelines for describing, evaluating, and establishing effective extension organizations. A carefully selected jury identified the 10 most outstanding and effective extension organizations in the United States; 10 others, not as effective, were randomly selected. Fifty-four independent variables judged to be…

This literature review addresses four variables related to school climate: teacher efficacy, collegiality (as promoted by the principal, shared decision making, and staff development), student achievement, and parent involvement. Schools attempting reform should consider how each of these variables can contribute to a positive school climate and…

Schools participating in the League of Schools Reaching Out, a national reform project, offer multiple examples of practices to increase family and community involvement. These numerous efforts exist without benefit of a clear, comprehensive, and supportive policy. Developing such a system must be a national priority. (SLD)

Experiences of parent-teacher action research teams established by eight schools that are members of the League of Schools Reaching Out illustrate that, given patience, hard work, supportive leadership, and informed facilitation, the two streams of parent and teacher empowerment can come together for academic achievement. (SLD)

Reports on Miami-Dade Community College's experience with service learning and the "America Reads" program, which have proven to be effective and important ways to help fulfill higher education's commitment to community building, scholarship, and civic responsibility. Outlines some of the keys to success in building a successful service…

Chronic illnesses, depression, abuse of drugs, alcohol and tobacco. Sugary snacks and drinks, vending machines, obesity and bullying. Guns, gang violence, school shootings and test scores. Teen-age birth rates, one-parent households, lack of health or dental care, and, dropouts. All of these issues are interconnected and intertwined with education…

Social research is a critical foundation for programs that seek to engage communities in change and in the development of more sustainable societies. Without appropriate research, programs aimed at change are likely to be based on implicit or assumed problem identification and/or inferred community needs and wishes. If we are to achieve community…

A university-wide coalition at Michigan State University called Families and Communities Together (FACT) offers a model for university-community engagement that is responsive to increasing public demand for relevance in higher education through a novel institutional arrangement that drives scholarship, catalyzes multidisciplinary collaboration,…

The Phillips Neighborhood Healthy Housing Collaborative learned valuable lessons through its work on two community-based participatory research projects in which it established a principled model of shared power and identifiable, mutual community-university benefits. A community impact statement (CIS) has evolved from this work. Like an…

Preliminary findings of an analysis of Head Start research evidence amassed from 1965 to the present are reported in this document, along with a summary of conclusions from related studies of preschool programs. Specifically presented are long-term findings of the Consortium for Longitudinal Studies concerning the lasting benefits of preschool…

Because the transition of Head Start children into elementary school can be a stressful time for children and parents, Head Start implemented a national transition initiative. This study examined the transition efforts of a responding sample of 108 Head Start programs (out of a stratified random sample of 144) and 15 additional Head Start programs…

This book concerns the Mt. Druitt Early Childhood Project, which was developed to provide quality educational programs for disadvantaged children living in the western suburbs of Sydney, Australia. In order to set the subsequent discussion in broader perspective, chapter 1 addresses several key issues influencing project development. Chapter 2…