Title I schools that serve a large population of low-income students often view families through the lens of an outdated paradigm of family engagement in education, assuming parents are mostly uneducated, ill informed, and much in need of training and support to be good parents. "Comunitario" projects in the Rio Grande Valley of south…

Parent, school, and community engagement is widely established as a collaborative strategy to improve the school experience and educational outcomes for children and youth (Epstein & Sanders, 2006; SEDL, 2013; Weiss, Lopez, & Rosenberg, 2011; Barr & Saltmarsh, 2014). Consistent with this viewpoint, the Houston Independent School…

Youth at risk for school failure need community and school supports to reduce the likelihood of developing delinquent behavior. This article provides an overview of community and school approaches aimed at intervening on the school-to-prison pipeline. Community and school efforts are emerging that take into account empirical evidence demonstrating…

Describes a school's attempt to increase local community involvement in all levels of school life through a "Community Week" format. Project goals and the daily events for the week are explained and program results are reviewed. Implications for future involvements are also discussed. (ML)

Community-driven school reform is receiving greater attention now as communities become more closely involved with their schools. One such program is a grassroots, faith-based organization called People Acting for Community Together (PACT). PACT is one of about 150 community-organizing groups nationwide that have worked to improve student learning…

This examination of parent and community involvement in elementary and secondary education is in two parts. The brief first section considers the historical aspects, identifies the various possible kinds of involvement and the benefits that result, as well as some of the obstacles that may be encountered. The second section is an extensive review…

Examines how citizens' concern for education can be used to encourage family and community involvement in improving learning. Highlights "America Goes Back to School" program as an opportunity for parent and community involvement in schools. Gives examples of school-family-community partnerships. Lists seven challenges to American…

Learning to read is a major milestone and should be an event to celebrate. The author of this article relates the story of how, with the encouragement of her principal, and the help of a children's librarian at the public library, the community coordinator at a nearby Barnes and Noble, and a children's book buyer at a local independent book store,…

This document reports the findings of a survey on parent involvement programs in public schools in Chicago (Illinois). The following major parent involvement indicators were found to promote high achievement despite high rates of poverty and student mobility: (1) a high level of communication between parents and school; (2) parent support of the…

Noting that educating children requires commitment and resources from the whole community as well as the schools, this document explores school-based collaborations with social services and family programs to improve students' performance. The document first provides a rationale for school-linked programs, then describes the School-Linked Services…

A community-wide and preschool bicycle helmet program was developed to educate the public about the importance of helmets for children and to offer helmets at reduced prices. Results of the project showed that education efforts in conjunction with an incentive component led to increases in the purchasing of helmets. (SM)

This guide provides background information and youth activities for youth leaders and classroom teachers interested in integrating waste management issues into current educational programming. Five parts suggest ideas for action that youth can take at home, in their group, or in the community to solve waste management problems. Part 1 introduces…

The School Community Involvement System (SCIS) is presented as a model community program that encourages educators, parents and community members to work together to meet the needs of children and society. This model is intended as a comprehensive systematic program for community involvement and communication in the school experience, as well as a…

This paper describes and evaluates the Blalock FIRST (Fund for the Improvement and Reform of Schools and Teaching) project, a 3-year, federally funded project based in an elementary school that serves mainly female-headed, African-American families who receive government assistance and live in public housing. The Blalock FIRST project seeks to…

The contents of this compendium of reports on projects attempting to promote increased citizen participation in urban education are organized in three sections. Section 1, Citizen Participation, includes the following reports: "Ways of Establishing and Funding Community Learning Centers," settings strategically located within the…