Schools are facing major problems today that are only marginally addressed by most reform initiatives or by standards-based federal and state legislation. New and different strategies are required if schools are to adequately serve their students and communities. This article demonstrates that service-learning is one dynamic way to promote school…

At the center of the social construction and interpretation of education sits the fourth estate. Through ideological media "voices," in part, education's meaning and the social reality in which schools reside are constructed for and with the community. This study looks at one vehicle of popular and influential communication overlooked by…

Murdoch University's public relations program attracts a significant number of international students. Up to 60% of students in some units come from Singapore and Malaysia. While many spend at least one year in Australia as part of the three year degree, students in both countries may complete the entire degree offshore from 2007. The authors…

Communicating why and how school leaders are effective in their work will go a long way toward increasing awareness of the profession and highlighting academic successes in our schools. Research shows school leadership and school performance are closely linked. According to a report by the Wallace Foundation, leadership is second only to teaching…

To address a public relations problem faced by a large urban public school district in Texas, we conducted action research that resulted in an audited self-monitoring system for high-stakes testing environments. The system monitors violations of testing protocols while identifying and disseminating best practices to improve the education of…

This paper presents findings of a case study of 4 first-year superintendents, which comprised part of a national study of 18 superintendents conducted from 1992-94. Data were collected from interviews, observation, and document analysis. All four superintendents had agendas focused on improving services for children. Three superintendents with the…

The World Wide Web, with its captivating multimedia features and hypertext capabilities, has brought millions of new users to the Internet. Library staff who could create a home page on the Web could present basic information about the library and its services, showcase its resources, create links to quality material inside and outside the…

This manual is designed to give public library trustees basic information on the structure of library service in Michigan, with emphasis on the trustees' major areas of responsibility, in order to help trustees understand and fulfill their obligations. In particular, the "Action Checklist" at the end of each chapter is designed to assist…

This package of training materials is intended for high school counselors participating in a 1-day, eight session workshop on student financial aid for postsecondary education. The workshop attempts to: identify basic requirements and responsibilities students need to know about when applying for and accepting federal student aid; provide basic…

The guide is designed to help elementary school administrators and school communities in making decisions about FLES (foreign language in the elementary school) program design and implementation. An introductory chapter provides definitions of relevant program types (FLES, exploratory/FLEX, and immersion). The second chapter reviews the current…

This book provides an introduction to basic communications concepts, a step-by-step process for developing and implementing a library public relations/communications plan, and descriptions of effective library communications tools and strategies. Detailed examples of the application of solid communications planning in school, public, academic, and…

Support for American public schools is ebbing at a time when it is needed most. This booklet outlines ways in which educators can counteract the criticisms leveled at public education and communicate its successes. It examines and presents data to refute the following charges: (1) SAT scores are falling; (2) students are taking too many "dumbed…

The effect that winning a National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division 1 national championship in football or men's basketball may have upon the quantity and quality of undergraduate admissions applications received by institutions was examined. Between 1979 and 1992, 11 institutions won the NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament with two…

This book is a guide to the major elements of planning and conducting capital campaigns for colleges and universities. Chapter 1 provides an overview of a capital campaign and reviews the elements needed before campaign planning begins. Chapter 2 offers some historical background of development programs, and discusses selection of a campaign…

This handbook is an expanded version of an original guide written as a basis for orientation and training of new children's librarians and allied personnel. It puts into one place the basics of library service to children, with an emphasis on the practical rather than the theoretical. Among topics covered are: (1) roles and responsibilities of…