An early education program for migrant children ages three through second grade, the program operates two permanent sites located in Connell and Moses Lake, Washington. A mobile component, operated in La Grulla, Texas during the winter months, follows the migrant children north when their families join the migrant stream from April through October…

This paper describes what has happened in Cleveland, Ohio, over the past 18 months as various community leaders and organizations have focused on a possible court order to desegregate the city schools. It focuses on the actions and reactions of various groups and the specific activities undertaken to prepare the community. The paper notes several…

Dscribes a school-wide program of improving communication with parents through positive telephone contacts with teachers and the principal; a monthly principal's newsletter; a student reading program; parents' comments on report card envelopes; a school improvement council; parent visits and lunches; Project LOVE (Let Older Volunteers Educate);…

Suggests that rural cummunity psychology focus on preventive interventions instead of traditional service delivery. Discusses special nature of intervention in rural communities, types of preventive interventions, understanding/utilizing community social ecology, and training issues. Advocates greater preparation for rural psychology and greater…

Reports on an Arkansas survey that illustrates a technique for analyzing the school-related concerns and perceptions of teachers and community members. Shows how the survey can identify problem areas in the schools and explains how administrators can use the survey to improve school-community relations. (SB)

Isolation, sparsity, smallness, and differentness hamper pursuit of quality rural education. Necessary basic conditions for quality education are attractive buildings with positive school climate; strong teacher/administrator leadership; core curricula reflecting rural values/culture; high academic expectations for all students; and use of…

Model Policies in Support of High Performance School Buildings for All Children is to begin to create a coherent and comprehensive set of state policies that will provide the governmental infrastructure for effective and creative practice in facility management. There are examples of good policy in many states, but no state has a coherent set of…

This handbook for Iowa school districts was first published many years ago. Since that time, several significant sociopolitical and educational changes have occurred. For example, there has been an increase in the number of languages and cultures represented both in Iowa and in the political arenas of the nation. Immigrants and refugees from…

The articles in this issue of "Focal Point" focus on the Research and Training Center's current work, which reflects the evolution of expectations for partnering with youth and families. Partnering successfully requires not only a philosophical commitment to the value, but also intentional, specific steps to redesign services and reallocate…

"Too Good for Drugs"[TM] is designed to promote life skills, character values, resistance skills to negative peer influence, and resistance to the use of illegal drugs, alcohol, and tobacco. The program, which targets elementary and middle school students, is based on classroom discussions and structured activities that center on…

In support of its strategic objective of a quality basic education provided to a larger percentage of Guinean children with an emphasis on girls and rural children, the United States Agency for International Development established the following intermediate results: (1) Improved sectoral strategic planning, management, and decision-making in…

Parental and community involvement in Title I schools is limited by occurrence and the absence of positive motivation. When parents are involved in the life of a school, children receive the message that education is important and the school is a vital commodity. With this involvement, a culture is developed that encompasses the children,…

This book focuses on documenting and understanding the nature of environmental changes observed by indigenous residents of the Arctic. Common themes include increasing variability and unpredictability of the weather and seasonal climatic patterns, as well as changes in the sea ice and the health of wildlife. Nine papers focus on these changes,…

In 2002, the Rural Community College Initiative (RCCI) began a new phase, with the goal of developing a team of community college and tribal college faculty, extension educators, and civic leaders to address the long-term needs of rural America. An advisory council was established to select the RCCI pilot states and colleges, monitor the…

In 1992, UNICEF signed an agreement with the government of Egypt to develop and coordinate a community schools project in the deprived villages of rural upper Egypt. Four pilot sites were selected in the governorate of Assiut based on minimum numbers of out-of-school children, lack of a school nearby, and the eagerness of the community to…