Community-service programs that lack administrative or community support are destined to fail. The success of mandatory programs depends on careful preparations, stakeholder buy-in, academic merits, program quality, staff support, safeguards for students, accurate recordkeeping, and recognition of long-term educational benefits. (MLH)

Discusses three predominant themes encountered by facilities managers and architects when planning and designing educational facilities: flexibility requirements, fiscal pressure, and community focus. (EV)

In April 2003, the government closed all schools for several weeks in Hong Kong to halt the spread of the virus causing Severe Upper Respiratory Syndrome (SARS). In 2004, schools in Indonesia and Saudi Arabia closed down for weeks at a time because of potential terrorist strikes. School leaders need options to continue to provide the educational…

For some time there has been debate about differing perspectives on musical gift and musical intelligence. One view is that musical gift is innate: that it is present in certain individuals from birth and that the task of the teacher is to develop the potential which is there. A second view is that musical gift is a complex concept which includes…

Context: The physical hazards of farming have been extensively studied and reported upon. Far less studied are the social and emotional impacts of farmwork injuries and deaths. Purpose: To investigate and document broad but targeted issues regarding the impact on individuals, families, and communities of farmwork injuries and fatalities of farmer…

Ways in which community "visioning" can be used to generate support and action for community education are described in this paper. Six steps in the community visioning process are discussed: (1) preparing; (2) conducting a workshop; (3) obtaining community feedback; (4) action planning; (5) recruiting, implementing, and following up; and (6)…

South Carolina's successful comprehensive school plan to develop and maintain public support for its school reform package, the Education Improvement Act, is offered in this paper, which focuses on the necessity of public support for successful reform. Key components of the plan are described, which include timing and public interest, state…

While new school construction bond elections for rural school districts can be difficult to pass, success is possible. This paper presents one superintendent's effective campaign to build a $4.2 million elementary school within a rural community. It reveals the need to continually reinforce the message of committing to educational quality combined…

School/community partnerships have been promoted as an essential ingredient for educational reform in the United States. Before implementing the Community/Classroom Partnerships Project, a statewide survey was conducted in 1990 in Virginia to elicit information about school/community partnerships. The mail and telephone survey was administered to…

Community services and continuing education (CS/CE) has been an integral component of the mission of the comprehensive community college for over a generation. In 1968, the Kellogg Foundation funded a 3-year project designed to insure that CS/CE would achieve its rightful place in the mission of America's community colleges. A component of the…

This document presents the results of a Forum study of local financial support of schools. The primary objective was to devise a yardstick to measure the local effort in a way useful to both citizens and policymakers. Data on property wealth for each of the 140 local school systems in North Carolina were developed. School systems making the…

Well-planned, cooperative efforts to develop positive attitudes can generate improved school climate and improved student performance, as illustrated by the experience of the Duval County (Florida) Public Schools. The district's marketing efforts focus on progress reporting and performance recognition both internally and externally. Among the…

The 1981 Monongalia (West Virginia) Area Survey (MAS) polled 485 townspeople and 220 students about certain attitudes and economic and social conditions in an area likely to be the focus of coal-based energy developments. Townspeople were predominately middle-aged, had a high prevalence of home-ownership, and had lived in the area for a relatively…

A review of recent sex education literature is presented in an attempt to integrate observations and recommendations related to both program development and innovation acceptance. A Developmental Research and Utilization Model is employed to systematically guide planning, implementation, evaluation, advocacy, and institutionalization. Curriculum…

This paper discusses the importance of generating more support for the public schools among nonparent taxpayers and offers numerous suggestions for communicating with nonparents and involving them in the schools. The author points out that only 26 percent of all homes have school-age children and argues that, although many schools do a good job of…