Through means such as parent choice, participation in a home visitor program, and work with a church group, "hard to reach" parents can become involved in the following aspects of education: (1) decision-making; (2) home-school coordinated activities; (3) advocacy; (4) school support; and (5) parent education and support. (BJV)

A consensus has emerged in recent years that the fragmented systems serving children and families need to be restructured and integrated in ways that make them accessible, family-focused, and able to accommodate cultural differences. Collaborative partnerships involving schools, families, and other community stakeholders are learning that they are…

This book incorporates teaching strategies to enhance middle school science and social studies using service learning. The book was developed by teachers who participated in a series of institutes conducted by the Social Science Education Consortium and the Science Discovery Program at the University of Colorado during the summers of 1993 and…

In many rural areas, both communities and schools are threatened by decreasing population and changing economic conditions. To boost both the local economy and student achievement, a growing number of rural schools are turning to entrepreneurial education. In school entrepreneurship programs, students create small businesses under the guidance of…

A significant theme in the literature on rural education is the extreme interdependence between rural schools and rural communities. Belief in this interdependence has led to a number of initiatives focused on strengthening both student learning and the local community's economic and social resources. Most of these initiatives involve some degree…

The state of Washington implemented the Readiness to Learn program as part of the state's Family Policy Initiative. The primary goal of the program is to serve as a formal link between education and human services by authorizing grants to local school-linked, community-based consortia to develop and implement strategies that ensure children arrive…

This activity guide is intended to further school-family-community partnerships to help all children succeed. The guide is based on "conversation starters" which were created during the initial phase of a Family Involvement/Community Engagement Project conducted by the Laboratory at Brown University from September 1996 through June 1997. In each…

Asserts the necessity of developing a U.S. audience educated to appreciate classical music. Discusses a number of innovative programs across the country designed to increase audience participation and appreciation. Proposes implementing outreach and education courses in professional music schools. (MJP)

Describes a program which draws on interagency collaboration, principles of care, needs assessment, and other components to create a community-based system of care. Presents the rationale for each of these components and how they were implemented, data on the children and families served by the program, and a case study. (RJM)

Two different approaches to community involvement in the schools are demonstrated by participants in the School-Community Connection initiative of the Institute for Responsive Education. The Wisconsin school district connects students to the outside environment, while the Hawaii district brings supportive networks into the school to nurture…

A middle school social studies teacher developed a community service program to help his students learn by doing and relate to the real world and its problems. Students chose issues of concern to them and performed services in those realms to benefit the community (including studying about and eliminating graffiti). (SM)

This paper describes the development of a new university physics course designed to integrate physics, education, research, and community partnerships. The coordinated system of activities links the new course to local community efforts in pre-college education, university education, university outreach, and research on teaching and learning. As…

This article applies theories of giving from philanthropic studies to enhance understanding of service-learning relationships between students and community partners. Focusing on the participation motivations, outcome expectations, and satisfaction levels of community partners who have recently completed work with service-learning students, the…

This paper compares and analyzes features of the models represented in five efforts to provide coordinated services for children and families located in five cities in an effort to determine how best to study these programs in the future. The programs are: (1) the Minneapolis Youth Trust (Minnesota), a city-wide partnership of member…

A study identified the current structure and status of school-community partnership programs and their relationship to partnership program success. Data were drawn from a survey of all partnership directors who coordinate partnerships between multiple schools and multiple businesses (1,875) in K-12 public schools in the United States. Highlights…