The idea that social relations can aggregate into social capital has intuitive appeal that scholars are finding useful as they seek to explain variations in community outcomes. This article suggests that it may be time for metropolitan university administrators to begin thinking beyond community relations or community engagement as they seek to…

A study was conducted at Dundalk Community College (DCC) to identify and prioritize basic campus goals. The Community College Goals Inventory (CCGI), which focuses on 20 goal areas and the extent to which they are and ought to be carried out, was supplemented with items related to 20 local goal areas. The survey was distributed to all 28 college…

A study was conducted to differentiate by cities and towns the various demographic characteristics of students that Dutchess Community College (DCC) was receiving from its major service area, Dutchess County, in order to ascertain if DCC was receiving its expected share of students from these cities and towns. All the students enrolling at DCC…

Describes the cluster system of targeted marketing analysis, which uses geodemographic analysis to develop understanding of communities at the micro level. Characteristics of some types of neighborhoods found in the United States are described and the use of this approach by librarians conducting community analyses is discussed. (CLB)

This report summarizes the results of a research project to examine arts participation patterns in 12 diverse communities across the United States. The research involved two major components: (1) the administration of an arts participation survey to randomly selected households in each area, and (2) research into the supply of local arts programs…

Small school districts have little leeway in predicting school enrollment. The basic tool of cohort survival technique can be augmented with the district census study and strategically located volunteers to monitor move-ins and move-outs within an assigned geographic area of the school district. (MLF)

Describes a process undertaken by small, rural libraries in Massachusetts in which trustees, librarians, and community leaders identified the possible roles of libraries and prioritized needs for individual communities. The results include an emphasis on community standards rather than national, and a list of three basic roles of all libraries.…

The booklet, developed at Red School House for Indian communities, demonstrates visually in a cultural context the series of actions constitute a needs assessment. The illustrated text tells the story of a traditional community that is in need of food for the survival of its people. The question of how to cross the river to see if food is…

"Education officials need to furnish leadership in school elections.... An unsuccessful election reduces educational opportunities for students" (Kimbrough and Nunnery, 1971, p. 4). Who can argue with this simple statement? Providing effective leadership, however, is not that easy. Research and practice have yet to yield an election formula that…

Community and staff surveys, conducted in 1982, were commissioned by the Sacramento City (CA) Unified School District Board of Education as part of a project designed by the District's five high school principals. This report is limited to a presentation of the survey results. A subsequent report to be developed will present conclusions and any…

This guide, second in a series of four volumes, offers a method of surveying parents' attitudes about choosing schools for their children and provides a survey instrument used over a period of 5 years in four Massachusetts urban school districts. Section 1 introduces the basic research questions pursued in the survey. Section 2, "The Parent…

The purpose of this guide is to provide local Head Start program decision-makers with a tool that will be useful in developing needs assessments appropriate to their communities, whether urban or rural. Although the guide focused on community needs assessments for planning mainstream services for children with handicapping conditions, its…

In 1984, the San Bernardino Communty College District (SBCCD) conducted a survey of community leaders to assess the impact the colleges in the district had on these people and to determine their opinions on college mission and performance. Prominent individuals in business, communications, government, education, and political offices were asked to…

This paper describes a survey conducted in 1982 by the Rosemount, Minnesota, school district as a model for other districts wishing to obtain reliable information about their communities at low cost. The paper outlines the following information: (1) the objectives of the survey; (2) the district's constraints and resources; (3) preliminary…

The Delaware Valley Child Care Council (DVCCC) developed this booklet to help Philadelphia school principals plan and develop privately run after-school centers in their schools. First, an executive summary documents the need for school-age day care nationwide and in the Philadelphia area. Section I offers guidance on planning a school-age child…