Every four years, public opinion polls become a national obsession in the months leading up to the presidential election, with new results breathlessly reported nearly every day. But polling is not exclusively the province of political reporters. A handful of national surveys released each year focus on education, including the Phi Delta…

Public Agenda's Choicework Discussion Starters support dialogue and deliberation on a wide variety of issues. They have been used in thousands of community conversations, discussion groups and classrooms and by journalists, researchers, policymakers, community leaders, and individuals looking to better understand and discuss solutions to a variety…

The "Stop.Think.Connect. Community Outreach Toolkit" was adapted from the Federal Trade Commission's "OnGuardOnline.gov," a project that provides practical tips to help guard against Internet fraud and protect your privacy. The kit will help you offer your community information about protecting kids online. It includes "Stop.Think.Connect.," a…

Your image can be either an asset or a liability for you as a leader. Image building is neither superficial nor unimportant. It's not about creating a false image, but recognizing genuine aspects of yourself that should be coming across to other people--but aren't. Crafting your image requires you to gain a clear picture of the image people are…

Written specifically for juvenile justice advocates and officials, this handbook provides step-by-step media approaches to promote the system reforms achieved through the Juvenile Detention Alternatives Initiative (JDAI). Those interested in learning all the nuts and bolts of media advocacy may choose to read this guide from cover to cover. Others…

Setting the Direction for Special Education in Alberta is a major Alberta Education project designed to create a new framework that will help students with special needs receive the education necessary to be successful. Phase 1 of the project reviewed the effectiveness of the current approach and then focused on defining a vision and principles…

The rationale for taking bold action on the nation's persistently failing schools can be summed up in one dramatic and disturbing statistic: half of the young Americans who drop out of high school attend just 12 percent of the nation's schools. Ending the cycle of failure at schools is a daunting challenge and a surprisingly controversial one.…

Simple surveys can provide administrators with information on what employees want to tell the public and on what the public wants to know about the schools. On the whole, the public wants to know specific information about educational programs and activities. A list of typical kinds of stories is included. (Author/IRT)

Describes the 1984 school/community survey developed and used by the Foundations in Educational Administration at the University of Texas. The use of survey methods helps future administrators become aware of the importance of public opinion in school improvement programs. (MD)

Presents guidelines about how to conduct a public opinion poll and discusses such specific areas as the sample, the questionnaire, the interviewers, and the poll report. (DF)

The public's increasing frustration with many social and economic issues is finding a target in higher education. So far, higher education has not adequately anticipated or responded to these high-profile problems. College and university public relations specialists would do well to expend some effort on anticipating problems and planning to…

Reading teachers and the field of reading have received much criticism because the public believes that children are not being taught to read. Some suggestions for letting the public know what children are learning include: using word of mouth; having frequent school visitations; using PTA meetings to advantage; seeking volunteers; inviting press…

Discusses problems of achieving balance and objectivity in dealing with the energy crisis, and suggests guidelines for unbiased film selection. (CMV)

Comments about the results of recent surveys that show that public school prestige is declining and recommends that schools reach out and get support from nonparents. A tribute to Horace Mann concludes the article. (MLF)

The annual Gallup Poll reveals what the public thinks about national education issues, Should these results be used to set local policy? A North Dakota school district did its own local survey in 1986 and describes how it was done. Includes seven references. (Author/MD)