This article tracks the trajectory and impact of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita on the communities of Houston/Harris County, Texas, USA, the schools, children, and families; along with the community partnerships that addressed the trauma and upheaval. Following the influx of individuals and families who were displaced by Hurricanes Katrina and Rita…

To stem the tide of students dropping out, many schools and districts are turning to early warning systems (EWS) that signal whether a student is at risk of not graduating from high school. While some research exists about establishing these systems, there is little information about the actual implementation strategies that are being used across…

Trilhos Alternativos (Alternative Paths) is a community-based program that aims to integrate African-Portuguese urban youth from low-income families into Portuguese society. This article describes the first year of the program and presents formative data about effectiveness of the program. The motivation system seems to be an indirect variable…

An urban American university, Georgia Institute of Technology, established a campus-community coalition to reduce high risk drinking, its harms and second-hand effects among university students and residents of the Atlanta community. The Atlanta-based institution was part of a ten-year, ten-university project, A Matter of Degree (AMOD),…

Describes a Saturday School model designed to modify student behavior by subjecting students to experiences that will build a positive self-concept. Students assume full responsiblility for their behavior and receive counseling and a contact or support person to assist them in building positive behavior patterns. (MLH)

Describes a collaborative community response coordinated by a local school health advisory board (SHAB) that addressed key findings from a youth risk behavior survey. Objective data helped focus school and community efforts, and the leadership of the SHAB successfully partnered a response with a number of community organizations. Surveys showed…

How do people help youth develop ethics in this complex world? What do they know about how young people think about right and wrong? Where and when are the teachable moments? One community in the southwestern United States decided to ask youth about their ideas, values, behavior, and aspirations--in essence, put themselves in the shoes of the…

This monograph summarizes what is known about youth and violence, identifying 10 myths that confound people's understanding of the real causes of youth violence. It focuses on: what contributes to youth violence (e.g., children exposed to domestic violence are at risk of using violence, children and adolescents use guns when they are easily…

Describes SAIL (Students Active in Leadership) as a school-based, youth-directed group. States that the program helps teenagers learn leadership skills by developing and implementing community service activities. SAIL finds partners with whom to collaborate among local businesses, government, and health associations, and these partners provide the…

Describes a community-based safety belt promotional program held at 10 public high schools. Safety belt assemblies, which created vivid crash images, were conducted using police officers, ambulance personnel, people with paraplegia, and athletes. Incentives were awarded to buckled students over 10 weeks. The program resulted in increased safety…

This program outlines the combined efforts of schools, social service agencies, community agencies, and the juvenile court system to reduce days lost by truancy. Also presented are the services necessary to support long-range remediation of truancy and related risk factors. The program was initiated at an inner-city public school with…

This report evaluates the Student Parent Activities Center, a program designed to involve parents in the educational process of their children, improve parental knowledge and participation in the school, and improve parental influence on student attendance. One hundred fifty students and 50 parents participated in the program. The parent…

Describes the Health Promoting Schools Framework and its implementation in schools to prevent eating and body image disorders, examining the efficacy of preventive school-based strategies. The framework encompasses: school curriculum, teaching, and learning; school ethos, environment, and organization; and school-community partnerships and…

The Community Integrated Training and Education (C.I.T.E.) program, sponsored by the Hamilton County (Ohio) Board of Mental Retardation, is a support program for county families with mentally retarded children, aged 6 months to 22 years. The program is structured to provide education and training for families who have decided against residential…

A suspension school for secondary students, established in the 1977-78 school year in an Arkansas school district has developed specific program goals and procedures. Following a discussion of the school's origins, this paper describes operating procedures, philosophy, support system, and student reaction. Suspensions declined considerably through…