As a society, we believe that persons affected by a public decision should be represented in the development of that policy. The Family Community Leadership program (FCL), recently launched in Alaska, Colorado, Hawaii, New Mexico, Oregon, and Washington, has been established to increase homemakers' understanding of social concerns that influence…

The contexts and purposes for civic writing may influence the composition process as well as text features, and an analysis of the purposes and audiences for civic writing might yield an insight into the way that such writing stimulates the personal and moral development of both its readers and writers. An examination of two related pieces written…

While much of the drinking water in the United States is safe for consumption, protecting its quality and assuring its availability are becoming increasingly difficult. This booklet is written for individuals and groups who are concerned about the drinking water in their communities. It provides a general introduction to the complex issues of…

This document reports the results of the National Study of Local Operations under Chapter 2 of the Educational Consolidation and Improvement Act of 1981. The 2-year study sought to (1) describe local district activities and operations under Chapter 2, the first federal education block grant, in the program's third year, noting changes occurring…

The reports are presented from three Cooperative Monitoring Groups of the Council for Cultural Cooperation. The groups studied 14 projects that contributed to local and regional development through their provision or encouragement of the provision by others of adult education and training as a component of that development. A brief introduction…

To identify which needs of the Hart County schools were most important to community members, a study was undertaken using information from a community needs assessment meeting with 28 citizens in Munfordville (Kentucky) in December, 1987. The information used included the top-ranked 25% of individual need statements and all 71 need statements.…

The Washington Award for Vocational Excellence (WAVE) was established by the Washington State Legislature in March 1984 to be administered by the Commission for Vocational Education. The award is to be given to a graduating vocational high school student and is to be based on such criteria as character, attitude, attendance, leadership, civic…

This briefing book provides the only material needed to participate in the 1989 Great Decisions national non-partisan program of volunteer run discussions on U.S. foreign policy issues for classrooms and community groups. Everyone who participates in the program is invited to fill out the opinion ballots provided in the back of the book; the…

This guide is designed as a resource for individuals and groups who are considering why and how to implement teaching about nuclear issues in the classroom. Section I presents some questions frequently asked about nuclear education and responses based upon the experience and research of Educators for Social Responsibility. Section II highlights…

Two California laws have increased the autonomy of local school districts. As of January 1982, virtually all provisions of the California Education Code can be waived at the request of local school boards with the approval of the state board of education. Under Article 2 of Assembly Bill 777, Chapter 100, programs that may be waived include state…

European protest movements of the eighties are analyzed and compared to the dissident movements of the sixties and seventies. The focus is on the peace, anti-nuclear, and ecology movements, the drive for autonomous youth centers in Switzerland, racial disturbances in Britain, and unrest among the urban squatters in the German Federal Republic. Six…

This document is a loose-leaf collection of materials intended to help citizens become active in working to make schools more effective. Its organization and contents are geared to three kinds of information needs. Part A provides research evidence on what works in instruction. It includes (1) a summary of the "Effective Schools" research, (2) a…

The results of a survey of 55 Illinois school districts which had experienced declining enrollment and surplus school space are reported in this paper. All 55 districts had closed at least one school as a result of enrollment decline, resulting in a total of 89 school closures. The two most important criteria for selecting the schools to be closed…

Community forums, based on newspaper courses operating as part of the Black Hawk College (Illinois) university parallel program, were completely planned, administered, and executed by the college humanities faculty in cooperation with community co-sponsors. In most cases, the cooperative efforts represented new official ties between college and…

According to the authors, parents have lost control not only over how and what their children are taught but over how they are treated as persons in schools they are required to attend. To counter parents' feelings of powerlessness in confronting educational problems, the authors urge parents to organize, get involved in school politics, and stand…