This article builds and explores the hypothesis that parent and community participation in school governance can have positive impacts on community development by fostering improvements in school performance and school-community relations and by acting as a catalyst for collective action around community-development issues. It does so through case…

This issue in the "Literacy Matters" looks at the relationship between literacy and HIV prevention education. It is the result of the UNESCO Institute for Lifelong Learning's work on examining the contribution of non-formal education (NFE) to HIV prevention, carried out in collaboration with the Association for the Development of…

Self-help initiatives stand as a classic context for organizational studies in community psychology. Behavior setting theory stands as a classic conception of organizations and the environment. This study explores both, applying behavior setting theory to consumer-run organizations (CROs). Analysis of multiple data sets from all CROs in Kansas…

Background: Family and community involvement in schools is linked strongly to improvements in the academic achievement of students, better school attendance, and improved school programs and quality. Method: The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention conducts the School Health Policies and Programs Study every 6 years. In 2006,…

The use of local languages in formal education is a widely debated educational strategy in sub-Saharan Africa. National-level policies abound which permit mother-tongue instruction in primary grades, and yet successful implementation of those policies is not merely so common. The reasons for this are varied, but one powerful reason has to do with…

The implementation and continuing growth of a volunteer youth/adult match-up service, Cal-Pal, being provided in seven rural communities are described in this article. School social workers in these areas can collaborate with other school-based personnel and community leaders to make such a service available. A major benefit of the program is the…

This document was prepared for participants of the 1986 Invitational Conference for Boards of Education in Maryland. It contains three sections that present scenarios dealing with the following issues: staffing, interest group involvement, and secondary schools. Each section includes: (1) a definition or discussion of the issues currently…

This book describes how to establish a Cultural Exchange Program in a school. The Cultural Exchange Program is a partnership between special education students and teachers, regular education students and teachers, and the community. The program involves a member of the international community visiting the school approximately once a month. Before…

Despite a long tradition of public support for public education, America today is experiencing the erosion of public commitment to public schools. Chapter 1 of this book describes the reasons for the disconnection between schools and communities and argues that fundamental change must start with the public and within the community in order to…

In hoping for a brighter future of self-government and self-determination, Canadian Aboriginal communities have placed great hopes and expectations on their youth. The complexity and uniqueness of career-related issues pose a formidable challenge in the development of career counseling programs for Aboriginal youth. This digest describes the…

Most of our public problems--from crime to racial tensions to substance abuse--directly involve and affect young people. The goal of this guide is to create opportunities for young people and adults to talk candidly about youth issues, develop new ideas, and work together to implement these ideas. It fosters democratic dialogue by advocating the…

The World Conservation Union brings together states, government agencies, and a diverse range of non-governmental organizations (NGOs) in a unique world partnership that seeks to influence, encourage, and assist societies throughout the world to conserve the integrity and diversity of nature as well as to ensure that any use of natural resources…

The first of the National Education Goals calls for every child to be ready to learn when entering kindergarten. Noting that children are more likely to succeed when schools and families are prepared for each other, this book describes the grassroots efforts of The W.K. Kellogg Foundation School Readiness Initiatives to link families, schools, and…

This handbook is designed to guide readers in developing a local assessment of their community's progress toward achieving the National Education Goals. It is organized around those questions that the National Education Goals Panel has used to measure national and state progress. The introduction includes a history of the National Education Goals…

This report proposes a new framework for understanding the different governance approaches taken by Local School Councils (LSCs) throughout the Chicago Public Schools, based on data collected during the 1991-92 school year. Meeting supervisors covered 155 council meetings at 14 randomly selected, representative schools, and interviewed principals,…