In order for local Native American cultures to be included in the curricula of the lower grades of public schools, Indian parents and community members must represent their community to the school board and establish a presence in the wider school community. Presents assertive, persistent, and well-informed strategies to build positive…

In 1994, the information technology organization at Indiana University, Bloomington, undertook a major computing technology conversion that affected 40,000 people. The project is described, and factors contributing to its success are discussed, including system architecture, marketing and customer communications, and migration of information…

Temple University (Pennsylvania), an urban institution, is seeking to raise academic standards and is aggressively recruiting suburban students, finding that local high schools are not of high quality. Some critics feel the institution is abandoning the black population and is recruiting white students who are more likely to be better prepared…

A Vermont project, the Environmental Programs/Partnerships in Communities (EPIC) project provides a transferable model for rural development. The program is sensitive to people and environmental needs, and emphasizes long-term functioning of the entire community system, not just specific outcomes. EPIC has supported leadership training, local…

Proposes a role for institutional research in changing institutional attitudes about priority placed on student retention efforts. Identifies organizational/attitudinal barriers to improving student retention efforts relative to theory on stages of grief (denial, hostility, bargaining, depression, acceptance); outlines tactics for moving the…

The processes of rebuilding the entire governing board and restructuring the damaged financial organization of Adelphi University (New York) are described. Legal issues are discussed, the role of the state board of regents in the investigation of the university's operation is examined, and the trustees' fiduciary duty of care is explored. (MSE)

Examines the contributions of Dwight Waldo to public administration, including his impact on pedagogy, use of the case method, his appreciation for art and the administrative "novel" in teaching, his views on appropriate elements of the public administration curriculum, and the relationship of public administration to political science.…

Chronicles the emergence of community service in the United States, beginning with the turn-of-the-century collision of capitalism and democracy which generated a crisis of community and profound rethinking of the meaning and practice of charity. Three service "paths" are identified: nonprofit human services organizations; active…

Describes school-improvement measures in Quebec, supported by the Partnership on School Improvement and the Quebec School Improvement Network. The Partnership includes representatives from government, McGill University, associations of school boards and school administrators, and teachers' unions. Staff trainings and improvement initiatives in…

In 1998, the first administration of the Massachusetts Educator Certification Test caused a furor. The initial decision to go forward with a statewide test, choice of vendor, decision surrounding the test's development, and the consequences of test administration are described. The Massachusetts experience teaches some important lessons that may…

The culture of fear in sanction-oriented schools hinders collaboration across differences in race, color, and culture. Strategies for encouraging active parent involvement include listening, supporting teacher leadership, inviting parents to help teachers develop coherent education goals, focusing on curriculum and instruction, and acknowledging…

Education, an obsessive concern in most industrialized countries, has undeniable benefits. However, most reform efforts are divided between boosting an increasingly worn institutional infrastructure and hyping untested high-tech strategies. This article examines major challenges and avenues (such as deschooling) for reinventing whole systems of…

Discusses the response of Hope College (Michigan) language departments to shifts in language enrollments, particularly the rise in Spanish enrollments and declines in other languages. Strategies include using the smaller classes as an opportunity to enhance the teaching-learning environment and make those courses more attractive, placement…

Explores academic service learning as an innovative pedagogical model capable of transforming traditional teaching and learning practices. Notes that faculty undertaking this challenge can expect initial resistance from students, periodic self-doubt about their teaching accomplishments, and colleagues' skepticism, but also renewed student…

Explores benefits derived from the "Gardendale Family" (a vertically aligned team of K-6 classrooms). Describes how older students give guidance, feedback, and validation to those in lower grades as the younger children become active members of the literacy community; and how students use written and oral language in authentic and…