Long-standing discriminatory practices and systematic barriers have perpetuated inequitable access to early childhood resources and opportunities for families living in the United States due to race and ethnicity, income, geographic location, primary languages, gender, and other characteristics. To adequately understand whether child care is…

It is time to rethink charter school authorization. There are approximately 5,000 charter schools in the United States (about 5 percent of schools) and a push from parents and the Department of Education for more. Given that many charters authorized during the initial wave of charter applications have not proven themselves to be any better than…

Several decades of research have suggested a meaningful relationship between time and learning, where the amount of time students spend engaged in learning is strongly associated with their level of achievement. Among schools that have expanded the day and/or year, researchers have found that such a strategy can be quite effective, especially with…

The purpose of this paper is to present the status of integrated education for children with special needs in the State of Sikkim, to study the various support services required for children with special needs for their successful completion of primary education, to ascertain the academic support provided to children with special needs in the…

Poverty and unemployment aren't spread evenly across cities or regions, but rather are concentrated in disinvested urban neighborhoods and rural communities around the country. These communities are home to the nation's most vulnerable children and families. Despite some signs of improvement in economic conditions for families in the United…

This paper examines the extent to which legitimacy affects program continuation, and focuses on the process by which programs attempt to maintain legitimate status through conformity with the larger environment. Legitimacy is defined as cultural support from a program's larger environment, such as the school district or community. An innovative…

In recent years issues concerning community support for education and participation in educational management have come to the fore in developing Asian and Pacific countries. The United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization, Principal Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific (UNESCO/PROAP) has organized regional training…

This guide presents practical applications from a research study about the processes that schools use to initiate and sustain reforms. It examines the history of 10 elementary schools in high-poverty settings, including details of behavioral and attitudinal changes. Ten capacities were associated with the stages of successful reform. The…

Strategies to help garner community support in school technology growth or maintenance include the following: (1) consider a "current state of technology" report; (2) forget five-year plans; (3) develop annual technology reports; (4) look to your website; (5) seek constructive opportunities to share technology, and (6) show off best examples at…

In school construction projects a great deal of work and planning needs to happen before ground breaking starts. Lists consistent factors that should always be considered when setting up a facility-design timeline. (MLF)

Operation Rescue is a teacher-initiated and -managed early intervention program to identify and help potential dropouts. The program relies upon establishing one-to-one friendships between at-risk children and volunteers. Cooperation with community groups promotes the goal of "local groups solving local problems." Operation Rescue…

Institute for Educational Leadership report identifies 15 characteristics of an effective school board and lists steps to strengthen leadership roles and create a more informed and supportive public. Characteristics include addressing energy/time toward educational outcomes, establishing board and superintendent evaluation procedures,…

Public schools across the country are aiming to improve student performance by engaging in comprehensive school reform (CSR). This guide was created to help school districts make CSR an integral part of their strategies for improving student achievement. Five components for CSR are described: (1) Strategizing, whereby the district supports CSR by…

At present, there is an ongoing re-examination of the practicality of the existence of many small rural community schools. In some states there is a continuing battle over a new round of small school closings, and reconsolidation efforts are underway to once again change or reorganize the educational infrastructure of rural community schools.…

Findings from a 2-year study of arts education reveal that the first and most important factor in a school district's ability to provide strong arts education is the community's support and involvement. Districts with strong arts education also require a supportive school board, superintendent, and a cadre of principals, teachers, and parents.…