Describes three programs provided by Family Focus, Inc., a private, nonprofit agency established in Chicago in 1976 by citizens to demonstrate the effectiveness of providing community-based support services to expectant parents and families with young children. (Author/RH)

Identified voter attitudes directly affecting voter behavior in fiscal elections, including attitudes about community involvement in policy-making, school community relations, school discipline and the teaching of democracy, present level of spending, and present level of taxes. Perceptions of school quality and social conditions have little…

Reversing two decades of school-community turmoil, Valley View--a small, rural community in northeastern Vermont--approved a bond issue for school construction. This case study uses organizational and systems theory to examine structural, political, symbolic, and human resource influences on changing community attitudes. Contains 19 references.…

Presents a case study of the impact of rapid educational policy change toward self-management on two small rural schools and their communities in Victoria (Australia). Suggests that self-management requires strong community support, and the quality of this support is directly related to a sense of autonomy and ownership. Community support is…

Two household surveys (n=629, n=544) of a community served by the Columbia-Presbyterian Medical Center (New York) found that despite a rapid rise in services provided, unmet needs continued to be great. In the survey report, a model for service provision in underserved communities is examined. (Author/MSE)

A 1987 model for a coordinated school health program included a healthy environment, comprehensive health education, physical education, health and nutrition services, counseling, staff health promotion, and family and community involvement. Effective programs in two low-resource areas--Providence, Rhode Island, and Animas, New Mexico--are…

Analyzes a 1993 censorship case involving public protest against the Fairfax County (Virginia) Library System's display of a gay newspaper. The case gave rise to the Family Friendly Libraries movement. The responsible librarian should select to maintain a balanced collection, know the community, educate the library board and develop consensus on…

In recent decades, immigrants, refugees and asylum seekers have sought a new way of life in large numbers, often leaving their countries of origin behind in search of places that offer a better way of life. The purpose of this study was to investigate how elementary and middle school students in state schools in Reading, England (primarily…

This study evaluated a program for meeting the needs of at-risk students in a Virginia elementary school. The program, known as the "community approach," was designed to foster the success of at-risk students by increasing parent involvement, allowing more time for student development, improving students' self-esteem and self-control, and…

New Futures, founded in 1987, is a multicity foundation-funded initiative designed to reduce the school dropout rate, teen pregnancies, and youth unemployment. The foundation's expectations for a 5-year agenda and program strategies are described in this implementation guide. Based on institutional change, the project utilizes community…

To lead the continuing renewal of the nation's institutions, boost U.S. economic competitiveness, and promote responsible citizenship, American education must itself be renewed and restructured. All educators must be committed to providing a high quality education for all students that results in critical and creative thinking, cooperative…

Rural gifted programs should be developed by the consumers in rural communities and should focus on the needs and strengths of the community. The unique aspects of rural schools should be used to develop defensible community-based programs. General gifted education procedures, such as developing peer groups and psychologically secure environments,…

This paper reviews information regarding the incidence, demographic characteristics, family characteristics, and immediate/ongoing characteristics of incest victims. The characteristics reported include behavioral indicators of abuse, such as acting-out behavior, self-destructive behaviors, and provocative and inappropriate sexual behaviors;…

Through efforts of concerned, knowledgeable, and culturally aware individuals, recreational programs which may help the special needs of Native Americans can be designed and implemented. Knowledge of tribal similarities and differences, cultural values, diverse life-styles, tribal beliefs, socioeconomic status, and leisure pursuits is paramount in…

The papers from the 1982 conference on Pennsylvania's Long Range Plan for School Improvement (LRPSI) assist in constructing reality about LRPSI itself. Focusing on the program's registration phase, Charles Gorman offers an alternative proposal, linking registration and evaluation, that would contribute to improving schools and increasing public…