Includes National School Board Association's guidelines for effective community involvement. (SP)

Principles for participatory community development are as follows: humility and respect; power of local knowledge; democratic practice; diverse ways of knowing; sustainability; reality before theory; uncertainty; relativity of time and efficiency; holistic approach; and decisions rooted in the community. (SK)

This model is designed to develop problem-solving skills and to involve diverse groups of people in seeking solutions to real problems of concern to them. It can be used in a simulated situation, such as a college classroom, for teaching systematic approaches to problem-solving, or it can be used by an agency or institution that wants to broaden…

This handbook for parents defines and describes the process of citizen participation in educational decision making. After describing the history of citizen involvement, the booklet answers questions regarding why and how community members can become involved in policy formation. Problems in participatory decision making and strategies for…

Some current teacher organization claims to an increased influence in the control of education policymaking are assessed in the light of Dahl's criteria for determining legitimate, democratic authority. The rival claims of alternative, non-professional groups are weighed against the teacher organization claims. (Author/WM)

For the reader who wants to know in general terms about the current status of citizen participation in educational decision-making, a descriptive account of a national survey and a summary of the findings are presented. A section containing the results of an opinion portion of the survey should also be of interest to the general readers. Two…

THE AUTHOR DISCUSSES THE UNIVERSITY'S ROLE IN SOCIAL CHANGE FROM THE POLITICAL VIEWPOINT. BY EXAMINING OUR POLITICAL SYSTEM AS IT RELATED TO UNIVERSITY INVOLVEMENT, HE INDICATES THE POLITICAL RAMIFICATIONS OF SUCH INVOLVEMENT AND SHOWS THE KIND OF INVOLVEMENT THAT IS POLITICALLY POSSIBLE. HE PINPOINTS THE DIFFICULTIES CIVIC ADMINISTRATORS AND…

A vast number of different types of citizens' groups participate in the educational process with differing degrees of involvement. Besides school-oriented groups, there are child advocacy and neighborhood associations, other citizens groups that have broad concerns but are in part interested in schools, and the advisory committees created by legal…

This document outlines the Strategic Planning Initiative (SPI) for New Jersey's Salem Community College. This is the first plan the college has authored in seven years. The report provides a theoretical framework for heterarchical planning, which allows for complexity and interrelations of structural analysis, and lateral decision making. The…

A longitudinal sociological study was conducted on the impact of the implementation of the Bilingual Education Act and the Aspira consent decree in New York City. The study sought to develop a theoretical framework for analyzing the participation of the Puerto Rican community ln the implementation of the bilingual education policies. The question…

The Institute for Responsive Education and its study team are looking at ways to widen the scope of collective bargaining to provide room for communities to participate in policy formulation in their schools. The traditional management-labor approach was designed to resolve differences about wages, fringe benefits, and the rules, rights, and…

This analysis draws on a variety of experiences with and models of centralized and decentralized school systems now in existence. The decentralized model or profile posed for consideration is intended as a basis for the development of a process by which indigenous models can be established for any locale as unique local variables are identified…

This document consists of the four issues of the "Journal of Educational Relations" published during 1995. The Journal's motto is "Promoting Student Achievement through Positive School-Home-Community Relationships." Articles in the first issue include: "Disarming Information: Ways to Counter Negative Critics" (Gerald Bracey); "Most Superintendents…

This transcript of a National Public Radio broadcast records the presentation and discussion of various issues concerning the role of community members in local school districts. Topics addressed include control of the schools by the poor, the middle class, teacher unions, parents, the PTA, and community groups; a parents' union in Philadelphia;…

The Institute for Responsive Education (IRE) is a private, nonprofit organization involved in research, policy analysis, assistance to local sites, and development of a national information clearinghouse and network for citizen groups. IRE recommends an approach to community based education that encourages citizen participation in decision-making…