Addresses the importance of family-school collaboration, with emphasis on the changing nature of families in the United States; the understanding and practice of collaboration wherein all of the parties are equal partners; exemplary family-school collaborative models; and implications for practitioners. (SM)

A school district planned and implemented site-based management. Schools developed ad hoc committees (AHCs) and created school management teams and plans. The AHCs effectively allowed school faculties to have input and involvement in developing management plans. The more they employed team building, the greater the impact on intended outcomes. (SM)

Connecticut College's intensive summer academic program involves high school students and their teachers, parents, college faculty, and college students in the minority recruitment effort, building a support team for college-bound students and providing an experience that is mutually beneficial for all parties. (MSE)

Evaluation of a metacognitive model designed to promote cooperative instruction among 10 regular education and 10 special education preservice teachers found slight changes in attitudes and perceptions. The model included opportunities for cooperative prelesson planning and postlesson evaluations by prospective teachers, and actual delivery of…

This paper examines relationships and interactions among the consumer (with a developmental disability), his or her family, and agency staff as they impact the consumer's life course and lifestyle. Approaches and activities to enhance effective relationships include setting policies that support these relationships, training staff with this…

New forms of team-oriented college and university leadership have emerged in recent years in response to changing conditions such as internationalism, interdependence, and growing diversity. The case study of one community college adjusting to team-oriented leadership over a period of eight years illustrates the complexity and challenges presented…

Reports an experiment in collaborative essay testing in a college course, finding some improvement in achievement, significant reduction in test anxiety, and student engagement in reflective thinking similar to metacognition. In addition, partners generally participated equally in test preparation and content. Suggestions are made for implementing…

Describes Miller's book as a well-organized and clearly written text for beginning students. Notes that a unique feature of the book is its incorporation of case studies to illustrate important concepts such as inclusion, and maintains that the book is a sensible choice for undergraduates in teacher-preparation programs. (KB)

In planning a new school and general remodeling and technology upgrades, the Oshkosh (Wisconsin) High School District used a variation of total quality management called Continuous Quality Improvement. The plan involved students, teachers, staff, parents, and members of the business community assisting in the school's design and selecting its…

Describes five school crises. In each case example, errors in crisis management by school staff exacerbated the crisis and resulted in deleterious consequences for the school, its students, and the surrounding community. Identifies common themes of leadership, teamwork, and responsibility that are critical to successful crisis management.…

In a learning community, students learn to cooperate and make teams work. Past technologies (print, photography, film, and computers) have enabled idea sharing, but are one-way communication modes. Broader learning communities have been made possible through electronic field trips, online mentoring, science investigations, and humanities…

Directed to improve administrative leadership effectiveness, the Philadelphia School District's new regional superintendent determined that participant research and practitioner inquiry would encourage principals, teachers, and support staff to become a community engaged in thinking, learning, and working together to educate urban learners. Staff…

This article describes an action research project that tracked the progress of under achieving fourth-grade students throughout the school year. The project used a collaborative problem solving and planning guide in an inclusive classroom to enhance students' productive work and produce gains in student achievement and student social skills.…

Interviews with, and classroom observations of, 17 teachers in Queensland (Australia) and Pennsylvania examined co-teaching approaches to provide support to students with disabilities in inclusive secondary classrooms. Co-teaching partnerships in both countries were dominated by content subject teachers with special educators in…

A survey of 984 mothers in Bavaria of young children with disabilities investigated their views regarding cooperation and what they expect to achieve from parent-expert partnerships. Results indicate dialoguing with professionals and model learning during intervention is the most helpful way for parents to learn how to cope with their child.…