Describes a collaborative approach between the University of Central Florida, 10 area school districts, and community agencies to providing graduate education to speech-language pathologists employed in the schools. Program innovations include additional graduate slots for public school employees, modifications in the locations and times of…

Describes two projects--CyberFair and Community Share--in which schools share resources, establish partnerships, and students work together to publish information about their communities on the Internet. Discusses learning objectives, classroom discussion, student research, educational benefits, peer review, and announcing contest winners.…

Argues that many recent collaborative research projects conducted by classroom teachers and teacher educators have focused too narrowly on educational practice, which is subject to the vagaries of the current political and social climate. Identifies strategies for broader focused research that concentrates on the teacher's life and work. (MDM)

Faculty members at an elementary school in its first year as a professional development school completed interviews and classroom observations examining how their expectations and aspirations for their role developed over time. Results highlighted five assertions, most of which related to their amount of control over environment and professional…

Summarizes the "overlapping spheres of influence" theory of educational partnerships and presents a framework of six major types of involvement in schools to provide a context for other articles in this issue. Also summarizes results of some studies by the Center on Families, Communities, Schools, and Children's Learning. (SLD)

Provides school-based practitioners with an understanding and appreciation of how one Latino (Puerto Rican) community's natural support systems played an influential role in helping families and communities collaborate with schools. A set of guiding principles is presented along with a discussion of strategies and barriers to success. (SLD)

Evaluated the West Alabama Learning Coalition, a rural, multi-institutional organization, as perceived by member professionals in schools, universities, community colleges, businesses, and social-service agencies. Respondents viewed the coalition as a dynamic, organic, and creative entity fostering synergy, shared leadership, and…

Business, community members, and county government cooperated in establishing a literacy center in Catoosa County, Georgia, that provides free GED classes; courses in English, math, basic reading, computer skills, and parenting; and classes offered by a local technical college. Free classes, child care, and GED tests and a flexible schedule remove…

Examines partnerships at Blue Ridge Community College (North Carolina) from the perspective of 12 nonprofit organizations and government agencies located on or adjacent to campus. Discusses factors contributing to the success of partnerships in addressing societal needs and advancing the college's mission, including accessibility, common goals,…

By focusing on advantages inherent in what are typically considered disadvantages for rural schools, 14 rural, southern California school districts cooperated in implementing a successful inquiry-based elementary science program. Isolation and low population density resulted in a stable teaching force familiar with the community, and the area's…

The taskforce charged with developing a national framework for rural education policy in Australia reports that such a policy should allow for local differences and provide flexibility in implementation by states and territories. Essential enablers of quality education in rural locations--personnel, relevant curriculum, information communication…

A Seattle (Washington) initiative is dedicated to building a system for out-of-school care, especially for low income, minority families. In this interview, the program coordinator describes how area out-of-school providers cooperated to train staff, train trainers, and elevate the field to a profession. Major issues that affect program quality…

This article looks at the history of special education in Mexico, discusses the emergence of special education programs, and examines a school for special education in Nuevo Laredo, Tamaulipas. The school provides vocational training for students with a variety of disabilities and has a partnership with the local maquiladora industry. (Contains 5…

An Idaho community worked together to build a performing arts building on school property. Students from the school, which had been using the Foxfire approach for several years, selected the site, did the surveying, and helped with the timber frame construction. The project fostered a renewed sense of community for a town suffering from declining…

Explores the impact of Professional Development Schools (PDSs) on the professional lives of school-based and university-based administrators, examining literature about the need for redefined leadership in restructuring schools and leadership roles in PDSs and discussing results from a study designed to elicit the voices of these administrators…