State educational agency content coordinators commonly experience tensions in their professional roles related to distinct sets of beliefs, or logics, about who "should" control what students learn: the state bureaucracy, the local community, or the broader profession. Using an institutional logics frame and drawing on interviews with…

A survey and exploratory study were conducted to analyze Lake Tempe as a resource for contextual learning (CTL). The first phase of the study included exploring the lake's potential through interviews with the people who live in the lake's coastal region. Quadrat transects were done to identify aquatic plants around the lake. A feasibility…

Early adolescents, particularly from underrepresented or marginalized communities, may feel disconnected from school science leading to a lack of engagement. The lack of connection between their out of school experiences and school science may lead them to devalue science. This study examines interviews with 56 middle school students and 12…

Reports the major points, conclusions, and effects of a study--expressly intended for members of the Mobile, Alabama, community--that examined the condition of public education in Mobile County School District. (JW)

Contained in this final report of a one-day conference are abstracts of speakers' remarks, conference conclusions and evaluation, appendices on publicity, conference handouts, goal statements, and sample lessons for citizen education. The purpose of the conference was to provide dialogue among practitioners of citizen participation skills,…

Describes the historical and current functions of the junior college, responsive to changing external needs tied to high school and university traditions in meeting intellectual and vocational needs of the community as a whole and its individuals. The community junior college also serves a multi-purpose function answering social problems.…

Illustrates historically and politically how geography and ethnicity melded together to provide the foundation for a community consciousness that ultimately evolved into a unique form of community organization in Chicago's Back of the Yards neighborhood. Examines how external structures, internal arrangements, housing patterns, and ethnic patterns…

This booklet presents a guide for primary students studying a community. Students are to become aware of the many aspects of their community which make it unique. A variety of educational experiences are included with ideas for group lessons, group projects, individual projects, learning centers, and worksheets. All activities are open-ended so…

An aspect of the Lansing, Michigan desegregation process that is examined in this paper is the school elections which have been held since 1969. The purpose of this examination is to determine what, if any, reliable voting patterns can be found in the Lansing community relative to the desegregation process. The assumption underlying this analysis…

This paper reports on the progress of eight Chicago-based community initiatives designed to redefine social services and broaden social responsibility for the development of children and families. The paper has three sections describing: (1) general background on the children, youth, and families initiative; (2) early lessons from an initiative in…

This report is organized in eight parts, as follows. The first part is an "overview" discussing such topics as the lack of commitment to the disadvantaged, making desegregation work, opposition to busing, and public opinion. There follow six chapters: Chapter 1, "Where Educators Stand," discusses the way professional and lay…

Discusses a cultural environment education curriculum that helps children appreciate their city, its buildings, and its history. The curriculum includes walking field trips, service projects, and collaborative efforts with other schools. Includes a table with educational objectives for the curriculum and the corresponding evaluation. (MJP)

Interesting and stimulating instruction in high school social studies may be achieved by using the community and its institutions as a laboratory for learning and by creating an on-going community resource inservice program. Effective ways to incorporate community resources in the curriculum include creating special sections on developing writing…