When the bell rings at the end of a school day, millions of children are left to their own devices while they wait for their families to return home at the end of the work day. Findings from a study conducted by the Afterschool Alliance, "America After 3PM," show that 15.1 million children are unsupervised when the school day ends. The…

Based on their involvement in the Albany County, Wyoming, Elementary Education Fair, the authors offer guidelines that include beginning with a brief proposal describing the education fair, forming a steering committee, organizing the week into special days with one afternoon as a grand finale, and encouraging community participation and…

Discusses the importance of competitions for gifted students and offers practical tips and techniques for utilizing competitions, not only to enhance talents, but also to nurture positive relationships between the school and community. Gives an example of a community's involvement in supporting competitions. (Author/CR)

To help Georgia school administrators, educators, and community members, this handbook suggests ideas and plans for strengthening school-community relations and increasing community involvement in schools. The first section lays out the four steps district administrators should take in developing a systemwide community involvement program,…

Described is the career education approach used in the Savona, New York, school system, which includes a five-part career education planning model. Broader-based community efforts in career education provide the framework within which school programs are developed. (CT)

The booklet suggests approaches and methods to help the teacher or program leader maximize students' learning from their community involvement. The purpose is to provide practical suggestions for encouraging young people to reflect on their participation in the community programs. The suggestions will help secondary students think about their…

Intended for parents and all citizens concerned about improving Chicago's 592 public schools, this handbook explains how important reading is to a decent education and future employment. Chapter one describes the school improvement campaign called "Schoolwatch," the problems in the Chicago public schools, and the components of effective…

This booklet is designed to be used as a workbook to present the concept of community education in a format which addresses important questions any community needs to consider as it explores community education. The booklet can be used in conjunction with the videotape "Community Education: A Profile of Two Communities." However, the contents of…

School-community partnership programs can help teachers reach children in the crucial years from birth to 4, thereby preventing reading difficulties and raising future test scores. Many organizations help families in starting their children on the road to lifetime reading by distributing free books and pamphlets on reading aloud to children. (SM)

This article examines ways in which the school-linked integration of services can be provided to students and their families. The first section presents several points that illustrate the critical need for improving service delivery to families. The need is escalated due to faltering support services, increasing poverty among young families,…

A growing number of charter schools are being designed, launched, and operated by community-based nonprofit organizations (CBOs). This resource guide is intended to target a priority technical assistance need: creating and sustaining a healthy relationship between a new charter school and a founding community organization, leading to the creation…

Two papers by experienced Teacher Corps project personnel describing techniques and approaches used in the development of community-based education are presented in this document. The first paper, by Elaine P. Witty and Yvonne B. Miller, explores methods for identifying educational needs perceived by the community, including group discussions,…

Addresses the feasibility of developing rural community transition councils to improve transition services for students with disabilities. Describes the role of local transition councils in relation to the context of rural communities and transition services. Includes suggestions for enhancing community cohesiveness and community capacity to…

As a result of declining enrollments and the associated need for budget reductions, many school districts are confronting the issue of school closure. This guidebook presents an alternative to closing schools, namely, the option of transforming them into community centers and addresses the issues involved in cooperative planning with the community…

The continuing public interest in community use of school facilities was affirmed by the North Carolina Court of Appeals' unanimous decision in the case of "Kiddie Korner et. al. v. Charlotte-Mecklenburg" in favor of the school board's involvement in enrichment programs after the regular school day. (MLF)