Parents are potentially the most influential individuals in children's lives. The 21st Century parent has to compete, however, with multiple sources of information, both human and nonhuman, (e.g. children's peers, non-familial adults, TV, technology gadgets, Internet) in shaping the minds, values, and beliefs of children. In the absence of a…

In this article, the authors present the lessons learned by the teaching community from the September 11 attack and the ongoing war on terror. The ongoing war against terrorism presents some unique challenges to the nation's educators. Classroom teachers must cope with explaining to their students the daily war news and acts of violence. Decisions…

This paper has analyzed the characteristic features of women's associations and problems inhibiting their effective participation in rural development projects in Osun State, Nigeria. One rural local government area was purposively selected in each of the six administrative zones in Osun State, based on high degrees of ruralness. A list of…

Even with all the external elements of school reform in place, educators can end up spinning their wheels. To make progress, schools must identify the nonnegotiable key elements of their reform plans and use the habits of highly effective schools to turn them into school practice. These habits are: (1) demonstrate high expectations and a vision…

This article reports on a year-long comparative case study of four secondary schools in low-incidence areas (less than 6% ESL) that have a reputation for success in the educational attainment of ESL students. Multiple data collection strategies revealed that, in low-incidence areas, school-wide programs and attitudes more than specific pedagogical…

Following two-failed school bond issues in 1995 and 1998, one mid-sized rural school district organized an effort that led to two successful school bond elections in 2001 and 2003. The school district's strategic plan mirrored many of the recommendations for successful bond referendums published in School Bond Success: A Strategy for Building…

The Goals 2000: Educate America Act is based on the notion of building individual community strengths, creating partnerships, and developing world-class standards for every child. Individuals interested in helping to put the act's educational objectives into action at the local level will find suggestions in this document. The publication contains…

This book offers a six-step process for eliciting broader community involvement with schools in order to improve students' educational environment. The need for changing traditional practices is discussed in chapter 1, which describes various ways to ensure equity and access while also rebuilding public confidence and support for schools. Chapter…

Local governance of education is based on recognizing and protecting the rights of minorities while attempting to meet the needs of all. Legally, various courts across the country have upheld the rights of school officials to make choices regarding curriculum textbooks, library books, and general subject matter. Board policy should include the…

Twenty-eight adult students and four adolescent students were interested in completing computer instruction in keyboarding in their own environment to gain skills and knowledge that would bring them up to date in the information age. The students who enrolled in the keyboarding course were assessed by timed writings, production applications, and…

New technology can help schools and communities create high-performance learning environments where all students reach high standards. To be effective, technology must be used as an integral part of the school's learning environment, rather than as an isolated laboratory practice or for mindless drill. Six examples are given of the effective use…

A survey of 94 school boards across Canada provided information on recent developments in board handling of community relations programs. This report discussing the survey findings first notes that 85 percent of the surveyed boards expressed a need to find new, more effective strategies. The second part of the report explores methods used by…

The prevention of child abuse is bound up in the joining together of social nurturance and social control, which flow directly from the concept of support systems. Families involved in maltreatment are likely to be cut off from prosocial support systems. In contrast to psychiatric approaches, more recent behavioristic methods concentrate on…

In view of the national attention that has recently been brought to public school improvement, a list of suggestions is presented in the form of leading questions to guide communities in assessing the quality of their local schools and in promoting beneficial change. The evaluative questions touch on a wide range of issues: school financing…

A study (telephone survey), assessing community support for school family life education programs, had two purposes: (1) to determine acceptability of school sex education programs to residents of northwest Arkansas; and (2) to identify factors related to an individual's acceptance or nonacceptance of such programs. Telephone interviews with 119…