Jefferson County Public Schools (JCPS) has a large geographic area and a diverse populace to draw upon for system-wide school diversity efforts. The division comprises one-seventh of all students in Kentucky public schools and is the 28th largest school district in the country. Encompassing the city of Louisville and the surrounding county, JCPS…

In this report, the Annenberg Institute for School Reform and the Southern Education Foundation (SEF) highlight instructional and community-based strategies for strong public schools in Georgia. The authors offer eight essential, evidence-based strategies for success: (1) Access to high quality early childhood and pre-K education; (2)…

Closing the achievement gap depends on highly effective public schools, strong community support, and family involvement. Raising the overall rates of achievement in Minnesota is a vital part of this goal. Research has shown that pre-college outreach programs improve college access for underrepresented groups, including low-income,…

Three factors help to explain why school enrollments in the Northern United States were higher than those in the South and in most of Europe by 1850. One was affordability: the northern states had higher real incomes, cheaper teachers, and greater local tax support. The second was the greater autonomy of local governments. The third was the…

School environments supporting inclusion require collaborative planning and program development. Inclusion is possible if the full community of parents, education personnel at all levels, policymakers, and community agencies join to make it a reality. Discusses observable benchmarks to be used to measure a school's progress in building these…

Creating a positive school climate and developing a fair and consistently enforced discipline system are fundamental steps in making school campuses safe places in which to learn and work. This book is designed to assist in the strategic planning of effective school safety by helping a school to analyze where one is, where one should go, and how…

Discusses the experiences of one Oklahoma school district's efforts to successfully address the expansion and renovation challenges of its highly diverse school system. Emphasizes the importance of gaining community support. (GR)

Compares a 1970s-era Canadian high school's failure to sustain its innovative character with challenges faced by a similar, recently founded high school. Both schools experienced problems with leadership succession, staff recruitment and retention, expanding enrollments, district and policy context, and community support. Recommendations are…

Community involvement in rural school facilities improvement projects is significant to the success of these projects. While literature regarding school-community partnerships and citizen involvement in school construction projects appears to be ample, writing which specifically addresses community involvement in rural school facilities is far…

A recent study by The National Association of Elementary School Principals (NAESP), Principals in the Public: Engaging Community Support (2000) found that communication, marketing, public affairs and public relations and engagement activities are now given more time and importance than ever before. According to the study, public support builds…

In 1995, Public Agenda and the Institute for Educational Leadership joined forces to develop a means for citizens, community leaders, and educators to hold public conversations on issues facing America's schools. Conversations help community members build common ground for improving schools. Success hinges on credible local sponsors, group…

Explains how the Metropolitan Nashville Public Schools used budget management and community support in successfully building new facilities and preparing the district for expanding instructional technology programs and providing new ones. An overview of the Nashville Public School district is presented along with data on how the district divides…

While new school construction bond elections for rural school districts can be difficult to pass, success is possible. This paper presents one superintendent's effective campaign to build a $4.2 million elementary school within a rural community. It reveals the need to continually reinforce the message of committing to educational quality combined…

The purpose of this publication is to furnish information on health education programs provided by the public schools in Cook County, Illinois. The booklet is divided into two parts. Material is presented from school districts representative of all geographical areas of the county on the purpose and scope of their particular health education…

In thriving school communities, members form a culture of reciprocal relationships that meet both school and community needs. The Los Alamitos (California) Unified School District opened a parent-paid preschool and an extended-day-care facility at each elementary-school site. Reciprocal relationships can be created via volunteer projects and…