This article reviews research on "wraparound" or "community schools" models by discussing the benefits, current educational needs, and measures of success for the models. It examines research on learner outcomes related to the program models in areas of students' academic achievement and finds generally positive outcomes on a…

Strong school-community partnerships are essential for a world-class, 21st century education, and more and more communities across the country are creating such partnerships--from Oakland, CA, to Evansville, IN, to Hartford, CT. In this document, the Coalition for Community Schools and the National Association of School Psychologists outline nine…

Due to local, state, and national accountability measures, school reform efforts have become critical of many legislative agendas. Local community members are getting off the sidelines and becoming part of the game to support local schools districts to become part of the solution. Across the United States, Collective Impact models, which propose…

Each edition of the IDRA Newsletter strives to provide many different perspectives on the issues in education topics discussed and to define its significance in the state and national dialogue. This issue focuses on Accountability and Civic Engagement and includes: (1) Will States Use ESSA [Elementary and Secondary Education Act] to Undermine…

Portland State University's Community Environmental Services (CES) has helped shape the Portland metropolitan region's sustainable materials management practices for more than twenty-five years. CES's research and program development services have benefitted community partners that in turn have provided hundreds of students with rich educational…

This paper reports on evidence from five school principals regarding leadership practices that work in multiple deprived contexts. The South African educational landscape is complex, often described as a cocktail of first and third world institutions. Looking at the schooling system on a continuum, on the one end there are first class schools…

Above all else, the American creed is one of liberty and opportunity. In the 21st century, whether the topic is economic opportunity, responsible citizenship, or political engagement, the role of education is more significant than ever before. That means political and civic leaders committed to a vision of opportunity--and especially to equal…

Across the United States, communities are thinking differently about how to transform their schools and neighborhoods. There is tremendous excitement about strategies that weave together resources in a clearly defined "place" to collectively improve outcomes for children, youth, families, and communities. The paper explores the…

In June 2013, Chapin Hall at the University of Chicago and the Institute for Educational Leadership convened a group of stakeholders, researchers, and practitioners in Washington, DC. The group discussed the role of partnerships in advancing educational opportunities for low-income children and youth in the United States. They examined topics…

As a part of growing and strengthening response to environmental and sustainability education initiatives, schoolyard gardens have emerged across the nation and globe. Though the concept of schoolyard gardens has received widespread support and ignited the public imagination, it is increasingly evident that there is an emergent need for…

Some researchers believe that collaboration between schools and community stakeholders--including families, educators, community organizations, and businesses--is the key to improving public education. However, broad and inclusive community-school partnerships are rare. Instead, we frequently hear about friction between communities and their…

Inner-city schools located in high poverty communities often operate with insufficient resources to meet the educational needs of students. Community residents serving as paraeducators offer the dual benefits of expanding instructional capacity and fostering family-school relationships, provided they are appropriately prepared and incorporated…

A description of the work conducted by the Center for Urban Education. (SB)

Administered by the 21-member School Community Council (SCC), the Fort Gay-Thompson Urban/Rural project attempts to involve both school personnel and community representatives in the planning of the community's educational program. The project's major goals are to develop and implement comprehensive staff training, and to combine efforts of staff…

The goal of this panel was to improve teacher training and teaching effectiveness through applied behavior research in instructional settings. Eight approaches for achieving this goal and for organizing suggested research programs were adopted and discussed. The first of these focused on an increase in the utilization of applied behavior analysis…