As educational leader of the school, the principal must take the initiative to develop strong community support through a public contact system and through the accurate assessment of student needs. (LH)

Described briefly is a course on arts advocacy designed so that guest speakers representing a broad base of organizations and/or legislative oriented groups could create action and movement to enhance arts education through networking and other sophisticated strategies. The course became a consciousness-raising event. (KC)

Increasingly, taxpayers are unwilling to suport educational programs they do not understand. Based on the premise that such support comes from an enlightened public, this article proposes a carefully orchestrated citizen visiting team to examine school programs and report results to the board. Includes two references. (MLH)

Despite widespread support for out-of-school time programs, many of these programs rely on time-limited core funding and struggle to find new funds to sustain their programs and initiatives as initial grants expire. This report provides concrete tips and examines ways out-of-school time initiative leaders have succeeded in replacing initial seed…

A survey instrument is an efficient means of assessing public support for local gifted education programs. A questionnaire, developed for a survey of 133 individuals at post offices in rural northwest Arkansas, revealed positive attitudes toward gifted education but lack of awareness of specialized programming. (JDD)

This paper reports preliminary findings from data gathering efforts of the Phi Delta Kappa (PDK) Commission on Developing Public Confidence in the Schools, and then charts several applications of some confidence-building techniques. A pilot test identified factors that caused people to gain or lose confidence in schools. Respondents (N=409)…

This book offers a six-step process for eliciting broader community involvement with schools in order to improve students' educational environment. The need for changing traditional practices is discussed in chapter 1, which describes various ways to ensure equity and access while also rebuilding public confidence and support for schools. Chapter…

A survey of 94 school boards across Canada provided information on recent developments in board handling of community relations programs. This report discussing the survey findings first notes that 85 percent of the surveyed boards expressed a need to find new, more effective strategies. The second part of the report explores methods used by…

A survey of 100 principals known for their successful programs for obtaining community support brought many effective techniques to light. These methods fall into four categories: written and oral communications, community involvement in decision making, use of school volunteers, and encouragement of parent-faculty organizations. (PGD)

This seven-chapter report explores in depth how issues relating to race, language, and culture can be incorporated into every stage of a reform process targeting supports to disadvantaged children and families. The report draws on 1993 research involving a survey of 98 collaborative programs in California, site visits to seven collaborative…

The Los Angeles County Board of Education's campaign to improve the public's confidence in public education is described. Education as an investment rather than a cost is the theme of the campaign. The coordinated approach is adopted from campaigns developed by 11 national educational agencies. The following topics are included in this booklet:…

Using the school-community council as a vehicle, this manual leads school staffs, parents, community representatives, and school council members step-by-step through suggested tasks to strengthen schools and to help restore confidence in the public school system. Chapter 1, "Schools and Communities Working Together: A Rationale," defines…

The National Council of Teachers of Mathematics (NCTM), with the establishment and promulgation of standards for the reform of teaching and learning mathematics, has furnished the leadership and the impetus toward the achievement of a vision of affording a high-quality mathematics education for all of the nation's children. Published in March…

Public relations guidelines for school principals are offered in this handbook, with an emphasis on improving student achievement and internal and external communication. Six chapters discuss the principal's public relations role, internal communication, securing and maintaining community involvement, school publications, media relations, and…