Presents three aims of effective home-school-community relations programs: involving parents and other citizens in making decisions related to the school's program, fostering ongoing multidirectional communication, and using community resources to enrich the school's total educational program. (HOD)

Through early cooperation and participation of the architect with the educational facility planner and various school staff and community members, it is possible to design and construct schools that will meet the needs of the educational program. Responsibilities of the team members are listed. (Author/MLF)

Social theories have long proclaimed the advent of the postindustrial era. In this era, a new paradigm will emerge which will utilize negotiation as the major problem-solving strategy; planning which emphasizes process rather than goal; and change strategies emphasizing the client, group dynamics, and knowledge from the behavioral sciences.…

"The Link" is a periodical published by the Child Welfare League. The Child Welfare League of America is the nation's oldest and largest membership-based child welfare organization. They are committed to engaging people everywhere in promoting the well-being of children, youth, and their families and protecting every child from harm. This issue of…

Most campus building projects are high-stakes ventures that, if not correctly planned, may be accompanied by cost overruns, schedule delays, unhappy stakeholders, diminished political goodwill, delays in new programs, or even the forfeiture of a donor gift. The key to managing complexity, reducing risk, and saving time and money lies in one…

This interview with Dianne Roberts, director of the Minimbah Aboriginal Preschool in Armidale, New South Wales (Australia), explores research issues, leadership styles, and how decision making and responsibilities are handled at Minimbah. Incoming researchers must show how research will benefit the community under study, how they will work in…

First Things First is a comprehensive intervention to transform low-performing public schools with high percentages of non-White and at-risk students. It encompasses major changes in school structure, instruction, and accountability and governance. The program model, which is grounded both in research and the best practices of schools serving…

This study examined teachers' classroom material buying behaviors and trends. Data came from Quality Education Data's National Education Database, which includes U.S. K-12 public, private, and Catholic schools and districts. Researchers surveyed K-8 teachers randomly selected from QED's National Education Database. Results show that teachers spend…

A fundamental ideal of our democratic republic is that every person has some way through which she/he can participate in decisions which directly affect her/him. To some extent, most teachers are able to recognize this ideal in their private lives. It seems logical that this realization would also carry over and prevail in an individual's working…

Over the past 50 years, theoretical and methodological problems have plagued the study of leadership. This paper reviews the literature in the areas of leadership; leadership theories; leadership styles; and the effect of principal leadership on teachers' morale, performance, and student achievement. The literature shows that principal leadership…

Delta College, a community college in Michigan, utilized a vacant high school in Midland County as an off-campus, community based facility. With limited resources, the college transformed the school into an instructional site to serve students in their communities, enhance college visibility, and serve increasing enrollment. The establishment of…

This paper reports findings of a study that explored the changing role of school principals in Washington State. Data were collected during stage 1 through focus-group interviews at an annual conference of a Washington State principals' association. During stage 2, a questionnaire was sent to all members (n=2,431) of the Association of Washington…

This paper addresses the need to create relationships and supports that offer people with substantial disabilities the assistance they require to increase effective control of their lives ("power sharing"). The paper is based on experience and research in North American and British services to people with intellectual disabilities, autism, and…

Path analysis was used to test the relationships between the resources provided to site councils in site-based management (such as administrative support for site-based management), council communication and decision making practices, and perceived outcomes in terms of effectiveness and stakeholder satisfaction. Data were collected form 12 schools…

This paper explores the dynamics of managing collective problem solving and decision making, and the application of tools and strategies to deal with the emergent complexity of systems in which educators work. Schools and educational programs are complex adaptive systems that respond to changes in internal and external environments. Functioning…