The school principalship is one of the most demanding and misunderstood jobs in American education. This book offers practical advice on how to perform that job successfully. The first chapter provides an introduction to the principalship from a historical perspective. Chapter 2 analyzes the traits of an effective principal and chapter 3 describes…

The purpose of the Western Alliance of School Social Work Organizations is to promote the profession of school social work in the western region of the United States. This conference proceedings booklet provides a conference schedule, abstracts for 10 general and workshop sessions, and abstracts for 15 poster session papers. Proceedings reflect…

Educational curricula have often been shaped more by worldwide standards and modern values than by national or regional influences and may, in some cases, be irrelevant to student and local community needs. This paper explores ways in which curricula can be adapted to a region's specific, social, political, and regional conditions. It begins with…

This paper presents the remarks of the President of Indiana University (IU) concerning the state of the university in 1995. It discusses excellence in education and research at IU, noting the contributions of various nationally-recognized faculty, graduates, and current students. The speech also reviews the rapid growth of IU in recent decades,…

The role of the classroom teacher in the success of parent and community involvement efforts in American public schools is this document's focus. Because schools need to discover new ways to foster parental and community involvement in education, this document outlines a new perspective concerning parental and community involvement that…

Research on social capital and functional communities provides much needed information on the relationship between rural schools and their communities, and its impact on community viability. Schools are critical to the social and economic viability of rural communities; research suggests that social capital in rural areas has decreased…

Genuine educational reform depends on developing relationships with the home, community groups, politicians, and the business community (Seeley, 1981). This report is the third of three volumes that are products of a 3.5 year study of education reform, with a focus on the role of parent, family, and community involvement in the middle grades. The…

This document consists of the four issues of the "Journal of Educational Relations" published during 1995. The Journal's motto is "Promoting Student Achievement through Positive School-Home-Community Relationships." Articles in the first issue include: "Disarming Information: Ways to Counter Negative Critics" (Gerald Bracey); "Most Superintendents…

This report describes the first 3 years of three Excellent Beginnings projects from 1991 to 1994 funded by the Plan for Social Excellence, a private nonprofit foundation that creates or supports innovative pilot projects in education. Programs that are flexible and responsible to needs of individuals and communities, rather than system-wide…

This publication offers suggestions for business leaders on how they can help support the reform of teacher education and, in the process, create the diverse, qualified, and culturally responsive teaching force that is needed. Through grant making, technical assistance, and cooperative effort, corporate officials can help to reformulate the job of…

This paper explores the role of volunteer teacher associates in school reform. Three theses are examined: (1) qualified and well trained volunteers as teachers' associates can be important in remedying the difficulties students experience in public school classrooms; (2) many public school reform efforts produce mixed results because of difficult…

This report uses case illustrations to present ten policy issues concerning inclusion of children with disabilities in early childhood education programs. Policy issues were identified from interviews with over 150 families, teachers, and district and state education agency administrators, as well as through many classroom observations. An…

Lifelong learning has a long tradition in India. In the last century, the government has accepted adult education as its responsibility. Since 1977, the University Grants Commission has incorporated adult and continuing education and extension into its policies, converted the Cells for Adult Education into full-fledged University Departments of…

Milwaukee's Highland Community school was opened in 1968 as an independent school (and is still funded mostly by donations) to provide a quality Montessori education and nurturing environment for economically and culturally diverse groups of families on the city's economically depressed Near West Side. Governed by a 9-member parent board of…

This paper consists of a transcript of the testimony of the Director of Early Childhood Services at the National Association of State Boards of Education (NASBE) before the U.S. Senate Committee on Labor and Human Resources on April 21, 1994. The testimony addresses the issue of improving the connections between early childhood programs and public…