The extent of any community's citizen involvement in education depends largely on its administrators and school board. Pennsylvania's Long Range Planning for School Improvement identifies six reasons for desiring community involvement, including providing citizens the opportunity to understand school board operating plans and giving the board the opportunity to inform citizens about those plans. Although the Pennsylvania Department of Education (PDE) leaves school districts free to pursue community involvement as they see fit, it encourages the development of (1) a clear definition and understanding of the role of each community group created, (2) appropriate recruitment and selection procedures, (3) clearly defined interrelationships among and between community groups functioning in the district, (4) appropriate means of receiving and reporting information, and (5) appropriate evaluation procedures to determine community group participation effectiveness. Under PDE guidelines, technical assistance partners can provide help regarding community involvement in information and clarification, training, and monitoring. The key to effective community involvement and effective technical assistance is ongoing participatory planning that extends beyond mere consultation. (JBM)