The Secretary of Education urges principals to read "America Goes Back to School: Get Involved," produced by the Partnership for Family Involvement in Education. This publication encourages parents, grandparents, community and religious leaders, employers, college students, and other caring citizens to work together to improve schools…

Provides testimony from five elementary school principals concerning the Skills for Growing Program piloted in U.S. and Canadian schools during 1987-1988. Principals stress the program's beneficial effects on student self-esteem, community involvement, curriculum enrichment, and staff morale. (MLH)

If current trends continue, a disproportionate number of America's children will grow up poor, undereducated, and untrained. Skills for Growing, a multifaceted K-5 program designed to develop character, citizenship, and positive social skills, offers a collaborative approach to socialization of children in isolation. (MLH)

Confronted with deteriorating facilities, outmoded technology, and low staff morale, a Mississippi principal improved communication with staff and parents. Staff sent home bimonthly student progress reports and monthly newsletters listing low-cost, unbudgeted items needed by teachers and encouraging teacher/parent dialog. They also asked for help…

The Skills for Growing pilot program was launched in 10 U.S. and Canadian schools during 1987-1988. This research-based project is founded on six philosophical assumptions: administrative leadership, positive expectations, visible rewards, a trusting climate, community involvement, and student participation. The program curriculum is described.…

Successful 21st-century teachers will be proficient at mentoring and managing relationships and will possess excellent skills in managing classrooms and designing and delivering lessons. A successful school will be administered by a principal who has mastered similar skills and who dares to take charge and do what is right. Supporting teachers and…

A preliminary study of suburban Chicago elementary schools in affluent, middle-, and low-income neighborhoods showed that parents were more concerned about their children's welfare than about curriculum or school operations. Principals should be available, emphasize basic information, develop effective security measures, clarify discipline…

Describes a Pennsylvania elementary school's efforts to enhance school-community partnerships and thereby garner support for innovative programs such as whole language, cooperative learning, process writing, and authentic assessment. The keys to success were improved home-school communication and parent involvement. Parents were encouraged to…

Researchers have identified several key competencies of resilient children, including social and intellectual competence, ability to plan and set realistic goals, and resourcefulness. These areas of competency are not predestined but can be learned in families, schools, and communities. Educators can work with others to enhance conditions in…

To ensure the success of its enrichment activities program, a Texas elementary school formed principal assistants committees (PACs) comprised of highly diverse community volunteer coordinators. In the PAC program, parents, nonparents, and educators work together, sharing problems and solutions while supporting each others' efforts. Sidebars list…

If the growing proportion of special-needs students is to receive the benefits of expanded and integrated social support systems, educational leaders must coordinate school activities with other community services. The situation calls for a radical reconfiguration of public service financing, with rewards for those who effectively coordinate…

Successful school/community partnerships incorporate three elements: reciprocity, democratic processes, and access to varied opportunities. Principals can create sound partnerships by looking first to teachers, making schools family-friendly, reaching into their communities, seeking increased responsibility by families, and understanding mutual…

Describes an elementary school creative writing program involving lay-readers, which leads to increased creativity, more enthusiasm for writing, and better writing skills. (DCS)

Increasingly, elementary schools are expected to serve as centers in a systematic network of child services. If schools become umbrella social service agencies, their historic educational function may be jeopardized. Perhaps local social service agencies should set up field offices in school buildings with their own staffs and managers. (MLH)

A coordinated school health program has numerous mutually reinforcing components: a healthy environment; comprehensive health education; physical education; health services; counseling, psychological, and social services; nutrition services; staff health promotion; and family and community involvement. Program implementation steps are outlined. A…