This article discusses the development and operation of the Conflict Prevention and Mediation Program (CPMP) at the University of California-Los Angeles, which is designed to address conflicts related to cultural diversity on campus and in the community. The contributions of six CPMP participants and future directions for the program are…

Business, community, and religious leaders are being urged to join families in providing greater support and participation in solving pressing problems in American education. Ways businesses can become more family friendly include offering flextime or job sharing to allow parents more flexibility with their children and building school-business…

The self-study process at St. Edward's University (Texas) is described. Features examined include its five focal areas (technology, knowledge explosion, experiential learning, multiculturalism, and values), involvement of both the campus and external communities in the self-study, and the vision of a redesigned university that resulted from the…

Child poverty in Canada is related to parents' low-wage employment, prevalence of single-parent families, and parents' low educational levels. Discusses how schools can alleviate impacts of child poverty by improving instruction to students with low achievement, strengthening preschool education, and building links with parents and the community.…

Although many school districts are integrated, integration has not had the anticipated effect on minority achievement promised by "Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka, Kansas." The article discusses the positive effects of aggressive strategies for minority students, and it suggests shifting the burden of social integration to the…

Calls for a new vision of child welfare, indicates schools' role, distinguishes between education and schooling, advocates new collaborative systems for children and families, and identifies implications meriting attention and action. Aims to initiate an expanded dialog around children's and families' rights and revisit ways to establish caring…

Examines tensions and contradictions associated with proposals to restructure schools, empower teachers, and create a professional, collaborative work environment. A broad school democracy must include parents, community members, and students in structured decision-making processes. Teacher empowerment and school restructuring must coincide with…

Describes the effects of one community's concept of readiness for school on children in a kindergarten class. Of particular interest was the effect on children's understanding of their roles as students. The concept of readiness provided the framework for instructional activities and helped parents understand their children's roles as students.…

Two case studies examine how an educational reform effort affected specific students and how it involved minority populations in urban schools. The two schools studied involved different types of restructuring efforts in Milwaukee (Wisconsin) and Chicago (Illinois) schools. Examining ethnic issues in reform efforts helps identify specific reform…

Explores issues of parent involvement in light of current educational reform movements, asserts that parent involvement as a voluntary effort may not be effective, and argues that businesses and industries interested in reform are not focusing sufficiently on work-related variables that might encourage involvement of parents and other adults. (SLD)

Five case studies illustrate the value of strategic communications in school and college public relations (PR). Central issues include public scrutiny of a controversial faculty hiring policy; internal communication during retrenchment; a local education/job fair; animal rights activism; and winning public approval for a long-range campus plan.…

Explores the prospects and implications of university-based conflict-resolution (CR) efforts. The author makes a case for the proactive as well as the responsive nature of CR efforts in urban areas and asserts that intended and unintended social changes can result from university CR programs. University-based CR programs have effects on the…

Asserts that, although research can be a powerful resource in guiding and fueling grass-roots social change, the community-based research enterprise often is contentious. Recommends collaborative research studies in which the researchers and practitioners work together from the project's inception. (CFR)

Asserts that society is fragmented and there is a need for strong support networks. Describes a cooperative community building program in North Carolina involving East Carolina University's art education program, Greenville (NC) public schools, and the McDonalds corporation. (CFR)

Common sense proposals for school restructuring suggest promising directions, but issues of the content needed to give educational direction and show how to link the factors that influence this content must be addressed. An agenda of content for teacher commitment and competence is proposed. Problems of linkage are addressed. (SLD)