During the months of November 1987 through February 1988, the Colorado Springs Public Schools, District 11, designed and implemented a community survey. The survey was conducted to determine community perceptions of public education in the district, assess community expectations for the schools, determine community attitudes toward current…

An urban school district affected by testing in the effective schools context is described in order to provide examples of the effects of testing on teaching and the curriculum. The report describes the method of operationalizing the effective schools research using test information. An important catalyst to improving the instructional program was…

A workshop on participatory research was held at the University of Calgary on May 3, 1988, as the first step in a two-step process, of which the second step will be a national conference to be held in July, 1989. The overall purpose of the workshop was to draw researchers (80 participants) together to share in the planning of the major conference…

The development and implementation of an adolescent suicide prevention program at the Fairfax County Public Schools in 1982 is described. The major components of the program are described: (1) background; (2) organizing and planning; (3) resources; (4) workshops; (5) activities for students; and (6) evaluation and review. Emergency visits to…

This resource guide was designed to help school volunteer coordinators develop and maintain a school volunteer program. Topics addressed include: (1) making maximum use of volunteer resources; (2) building a network of resource people from school support groups; (3) setting up a school volunteer program; (4) responsibilities of volunteers and…

The Urban Development Component at Research for Better Schools, Inc., attempted to attack problems facing urban secondary schools in Delaware, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania by using the "natural channels" of educational and civic associations to disseminate research and development information and to work collaboratively toward improving…

Intended for parents and all citizens concerned about improving Chicago's 592 public schools, this handbook explains how important reading is to a decent education and future employment. Chapter one describes the school improvement campaign called "Schoolwatch," the problems in the Chicago public schools, and the components of effective…

The past and historical future of the Partnership for Rural Improvement (PRI) and its model for rural planning and development are explored. Evolution of the rural-urban conceptual dichotomy is reviewed. Rural is perceived as a state of being rather than a place. Implications of the PRI experience for new knowledge and skills in rural community…

San Juan School District, a rural school district in the southeast corner of Utah, implemented the Rural Futures Development (RFD) Strategy program to develop greater public involvement in the education process. Geographically one of the largest school districts (approximately 8,000 square miles) in the U.S., San Juan serves Anglos who mainly live…

This is an illustrated report on some findings of the Citizens Education Project (CEP), a 1979 survey of the employment situation of communities in five Maryland counties. The study was conducted by the Maryland Cooperative Extension Service, University of Maryland, College Park and Eastern Shore, with funding from Extension Program 1890. The…

Strategic and operational issues throughout the world formed the focus of the International Conference on Family Planning. The objectives of the conference were to review the accomplishments of family planning over the past decade, assess the challenges and opportunities for the 1980's, and identify means to strengthen commitment to family…

This report presents a summary of the activities and accomplishments in the first year of a Teacher Corps project carried out by the University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff, the University of Arkansas at Fayetteville, and the Pine Bluff school district. Accomplishments in the project are discussed in the areas of: (1) policy board formation and role;…

At the Crissey Elementary School (Ohio), project intervention activities by Teacher Corps interns focused on student playground-related behaviors and activities. Primary responsibility for identified kinds of activities was assigned to the interns: (1) playground program; (2) community involvement; (3) special events; and (4) classroom activities.…

The Institute for Development of Educational Activities (/I/D/E/A/) School Improvement Program (SIP) is based upon a school-based approach to staff development and school improvement program known as the Readiness, Planning, Training, Implementation, and Maintenance (RPTIM) Model. There are five stages to the RPTIM Model: (1) readiness, dealing…

In May 1914, the largest community pageant production ever staged in the United States, "The Pageant and Masque of St. Louis," was presented in St. Louis's Forest Park. This production, involving over 7,500 participants, was presented not merely for the enjoyment it might bring to its participants and audiences, but also for what the…