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…

Traditional freshmen, or first-time students who enter college immediately after graduating high school, represent the largest identifiable group of students within Frederick Community College's (FCC) student body. They are afforded a considerable amount of resources from college staff, and for them the college follows various measurements of…

This essay critiques the way in which state accountability schemes reify aggregated achievement test scores and help undercut the meanings that inform properly rural sorts of education. The contemporary phenomenon of accountability is examined, along with its relation to the threatened meanings of rural life, the identity of the rural victims of…

This final report describes activities and accomplishments of the Building Friendships project, which developed, implemented, evaluated, and disseminated an intervention to improve the social integration of students with traumatic brain injury (TBI). The project used an ongoing, informal team approach to bring together and mobilize key people in a…

This paper contrasts two perspectives for evaluating educational programs: (1) a growth curve model of personal development in the sociocultural context; and (2) a narrowing staircase model of educational success. According to the first perspective, development occurs along personal, social, and cognitive dimensions, and arises from the…

To initiate a primary prevention program in a Midwestern urban community consisting primarily of Chicanos, needs were assessed by conducting focus group meetings with school administrators, teachers, parents, and children in a public school setting. In each student focus group, 8-10 children were selected from a seventh-grade classroom, an…

This book reports findings of research to explore the changing relationships between British further education (FE) colleges and the communities they serve. Chapter 1 outlines changes in FE over the past 10 years to provide a context. It deconstructs and conceptualizes the term "community" within the context of this project, and explores…

This report summarizes the activities of the SIFT-OUT program, a federally funded project designed to prepare teams of university faculty, family members, practitioners, and agency representatives from six states, to serve as leaders in providing early intervention training in their states. A total of 166 state-level early intervention leaders…

This case study examines the process of opening and developing a new high school, with a specific emphasis on the evolution of its culture. Guided by a theoretical framework informed by the literature on school culture, this study explores the nature of school culture, how school cultures are established, the role of the principal, and the role of…

Connecting theory and practice to the moral use of power reveals why social justice, as an educational intervention, is relevant in every era. Social justice requires ongoing struggle and cannot be separated from the educational theories and practices of professionals, schools, academic disciplines, and governmental agents. Insights from John…

A 3-day retreat on rural education leadership in Alaska focused on how the Alaska Department of Education, the University of Alaska, rural communities, and school districts can better cooperate to address the long-term educational needs of rural communities. Recommendations were formulated in three focal areas. First, developing an Alaskan rural…

Highlighting the impact of family and community involvement on student achievement, this videotape presents a satellite town meeting hosted by Secretary of Education, Richard Riley. The 60-minute video first notes the consensus in support of education, specifically higher standards, reasonable assessment, well-trained teachers, parent involvement,…

This paper describes four considerations for policymakers who wish to have public schools serve as viable partners in the rural development efforts of their communities. First, schools are a community resource. When rural students are given opportunities to engage in community-based learning, they develop responsible citizenship and leadership…

Small schools offer many advantages and their numbers are increasing, but current funding practices often do not meet their needs. This digest suggests strategies that can help small public schools, particularly small rural schools, redress funding inequalities and get the resources they need. Three basic strategies for improving resources at…

A case study of a rural community in Western Australia examined factors responsible for the progress made in breaking down barriers between youth and adults and building community cohesiveness. Community documents and interviews with school personnel, students, and community members revealed that the high school worked with the community to build…