In response to a 1983-84 school board mandate to evaluate its K-12 science program, a Maryland public school system invited local scientists, administrators, science teachers, parents, students, and graduates to serve as evaluators. The same community-based model was subsequently used to evaluate the mathematics program. (MLH)

The Personal Responsibility Education Process (PREP) is a grass-roots approach to character education that seeks to strengthen student responsibility. Instead of promoting one set of values, it helps schools rediscover their own values and reinforce them. A sampling of several Missouri school districts illustrates the diversity of the process and…

The 1998 Comprehensive School Reform Demonstration Program provides $120 million for Title I schools and an additional $25 million for all public schools. Almost 3,000 schools are receiving $50,000 each to implement schoolwide models listed and explained in this article. Challenges and funding tips are discussed. (Contains 13 references.) (MLH)

According to a former community relations director for a Washington State district, there are three key elements of effective public engagement: choosing a focus, acknowledging that employees are a school system's first public, and using feedback loops. Employees are school ambassadors whose words and actions can either build community support or…

Describes how members of one community organization tried to get their school district to move toward an Educational Planning-Programming Budgeting System. (Authors/MB)

Author, Superintendent of Spartanburg City Schools, Spartanburg, South Carolina, offers examples of innovations supported by the community. (CB)

Compares a 1970s-era Canadian high school's failure to sustain its innovative character with challenges faced by a similar, recently founded high school. Both schools experienced problems with leadership succession, staff recruitment and retention, expanding enrollments, district and policy context, and community support. Recommendations are…

Describes Lake Washington (Washington) School District's master plan to balance building-based decision-making and administrative input, encourage collegiality, and respond positively to change. For each building, the district master plan is mirrored by a locally developed master plan. Each teacher is also developing a classroom plan. (MLH)

Under the guidance of a new superintendent, an underfunded and uninspired rural New England school district galvanized community support for school improvement and completely revitalized its program through collaborative decision making. Goal setting, used by individual classroom teachers, committees, and administrative teams, became part of the…

To rectify the problem of a mostly White teaching and administrative staff in a Delaware school district with a 17 percent Black student enrollment, administrators set up conferences with Black community members to discuss teacher recruitment, expectations for Black students, and the districts' effectiveness in meeting minority student needs. (MLH)

In Pennsylvania, introduction of student learning outcomes became a major battle rather than a reasoned debate, and final language of the proposed regulations was somewhat muted. Because the state failed to cultivate the grass-roots support necessary for reform, a vocal, effective opposition emerged, and sensation overshadowed real issues.…

Peaceful, systemic, educational reform may be achieved by clearly articulating and responding to differences of opinion in four conflict areas: safe passage for traditionalist Christian students, opt-in policies for controversial course materials, parents' rights, and child-centered curricula. Authentic assessment based on community values…

If educators endorse Alfie Kohn's surface message about Total Quality Management, they may miss opportunity to professionalize education. Deming's system of profound knowledge (interaction of theories of systems, knowledge, psychology, and variation) is a model for educated people grappling with life's complexities. Moreover, gaining community…

The Lewisburg (Pennsylvania) Area Middle School has successfully implemented an alternating-day block schedule that has yielded improved academic performance. The positive effect may derive from administrative support, teacher empowerment, and community agreement. The culture of the traditional schedule and school year remains essentially intact,…

Although both mastery learning and outcome-based education require students to meet certain criteria, OBE encourages students to assess themselves. Johnson City (New York) Schools stress three outcomes: academics, work and process skills, and attitudes. The key to Johnson City's success lies in clearly defining these desired outcomes, getting…