The short existence of Early College High Schools has not allowed for considerable research to assess their operational effectiveness. Furthermore, the effectiveness perceptions and reactions of students enrolled at these schools have not been given ample opportunity to be studied--an integral component of any school's operation. The purpose of…

Community organizing for school reform is a growing national phenomenon, as young people, parents, neighborhood residents, and faith-based institutions struggle to improve the quality and equity of public schooling, particularly in urban school districts. Now a decade old, community organizing projects are influencing local public schools in…

Background: This study provides an overview of empirical research on the effectiveness of quality-enhancing interventions for people with profound intellectual and multiple disabilities (PIMD). Method: Through computerised searches of the PsycINFO and ERIC databases, and using several search criteria specifically relating to the target group and…

The search for new designs for improving parent involvement is a common issue in many schools today. The notion of local control of education in First Nations communities in Canada is directly linked to the need for parental involvement in schooling. This study utilizes a participatory research approach to examine views on community involvement…

Inherent in the missions of colleges and universities with a Christian tradition is a goal of building a strong community. These campuses seek to foster a sense of belonging for their students, and they employ principled approaches to the development of effective policies for all aspects of student affairs. Simultaneously, they frequently face…

The accountability imperative requires schools to evaluate the effectiveness of educational programs. Florida answered the accountability imperative by instituting statewide objective assessments and assigning grades to schools. The latter move led to several initiatives concerning the practices that improve schools in Florida. This article…

Community schools are organized around two common goals: helping students learn and succeed and strengthening families and communities. Full-service community schools extend these guiding principles. They are centers of their communities, providing high-quality after-school opportunities, comprehensive early childhood education, real-world…

Which comprehensive school reform programs have been proven to help elementary and secondary students achieve? To find out, this review summarizes evidence on comprehensive school reform (CSR) models in elementary and secondary schools. Comprehensive school reform models are programs used schoolwide to improve student achievement. They typically…

Force field analysis encourages members to examine the probability of reaching agreed-upon goals. It can help groups avoid working toward goals that are unlikely to be reached. In every situation are three forces: forces that encourage maintenance of the status quo or change; driving or helping forces that push toward change; and restraining…

Recruitment of participants is a long-standing practice for many programs serving children and families, although the way in which it is approached varies greatly. This volume is presented as a practical tool for practitioners to use in systematizing their recruitment efforts. Section 1, "Reaching Diverse Families," contains an…

This paper examines the development of the concept of the "public" and the "people" in U.S. society. Community problem-solving is an art, and like the art of dance or the game of soccer, the dispositions and skills of communal life are learned by doing and reflecting on what has been done. This essay discusses the "arts" of democracy, including:…

This paper summarizes the various visually-oriented and informational projects that were developed to enhance the celebration of the 100th anniversary of the founding of the town of Cody (Wyoming). Some of the projects that were developed included: (1) a slide show presentation detailing Cody's growth from 1896 to the 1920s; (2) a pictorial…

In 1992, the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) launched a 3-year project titled Natural Resources for Equity in Science: Connecting Museums and Community Groups, also known as Project MOSAIC (Museums Offering Science Assistance in the Community). This manual and accompanying video, designed by Project MOSAIC, covers…

There is something everyone can do to combat violence. The highest priority is making oneself and one's family safer from violence. Parents should consider carefully about having weapons, especially firearms, in the home, since statistics show that a firearm in the home is more than forty times as likely to injure or kill a family member as to…

This volume describes the experiences of each of the 15 rural and urban Healthy Start initiatives. These projects were set up in areas that had infant mortality rates that were 1.5 to 2.5 times the national average. Project locations include major cities such as Chicago, Illinois; Boston, Massachusetts; and Oakland, California, and rural areas in…