This paper examines the frequency and purpose of interactions between rural students and teachers at the Brisbane School of Distance Education. Research regarding distance education indicated that: (1) both the school community and rural community significantly influence teacher-student interactions; (2) the student population represents diverse…

In 1994, as Chicago (Illinois) completed the fifth year of school reform under the Chicago School Reform Act, the Consortium on Chicago School Research launched its third and fourth surveys of teacher and student responses to change. In all, 39,000 students, 6,200 elementary school teachers, and 2,600 high school teachers completed the surveys.…

What is being done at a local level, in the neighborhood, to prevent and discourage small-time drug dealers is discussed. Partnerships of law enforcement and grassroots citizens' groups are working in many places to reduce the availability and impact of drugs in their communities. The book opens with a discussion of drug use and the urban…

This report offers a synthesis of a Special Issues Analysis Center report based on a focus group that studied active learning and its implications for limited English proficient (LEP) students. Active learning is defined as the level of engagement by the student in the instructional process; it implies the development of a community of learners…

Designed to improve Massachusetts' children's healthy development and success in school, this plan discusses high quality early care and education programs that are responsive to the needs and preferences of families, and that provide parenting education and family literacy and support. The goal of the plan is to create a coordinated system of…

Noting the improvement in schools and education that occurs when parents, educators, and the community get involved, this "partners' activity kit" is intended to raise public awareness about what students in the schools need, and describes ways that anyone in the community can fill a role in improving education. Following an invitation…

This paper investigates the challenges that Uganda and England have faced in beginning to reestablish community participation in the governance of education. It investigates starting points for the possible development of school-governance systems in both countries. Outlined first are the formats for community involvement that have been adopted in…

From 1989 to 1995, the American Association of Community Colleges implemented the Beacon College Project to help community colleges develop creative and practical community-building strategies through collaborative initiatives. This report reviews the philosophy behind the project and describes goals and outcomes for the 26 institutions selected…

This theme issue describes Maryetta School, a rural pre-K-8 school in Stilwell, Oklahoma, with an enrollment of approximately 500 students, mostly American Indians of Cherokee descent. Although the area has a high poverty rate and virtually all the students are judged to be at risk, the school has an impressive array of programs and facilities and…

Arguing that the nation's educational system must be renewed to empower citizens and communities, this two-part monograph describes the importance of building learning communities and offers a blueprint to guide community colleges in this undertaking. The first part of the monograph provides three chapters focusing on creating a vision for the…

In recent years the Institute for Independent Education has begun to study a significant parental response to the lack of options in education. Parents of color and those with low to moderate incomes are creating and supporting independent community-based schools as self-help resources for the educational needs of their children. These schools,…

The Resolving Conflicts Creatively Program (RCCP) described in this book asserts that schools must educate the child's heart as well as the mind. RCCP began in 1985 as a joint initiative of Educators for Social Responsibility Metropolitan Area and the New York City Board of Education. The program started in 3 schools in New York City and has…

This publication provides a composite look at 49 school-community arts education partnerships from 29 states. These programs were recommended by the State Alliances for Arts Education (AAE). Individual profiles were developed by the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts staff from surveys completed by respective Alliance and program…

The Goals 2000: Educate America Act seeks to improve student achievement through high expectations for all; increase parent and community involvement in education; make schools safe, drug-free, and disciplined; upgrade teacher training and professional development; bring technology into the schools; support long-term and systemwide efforts; and…

The South Dakota Alliance for Transition establishes a formal partnership among state agencies, local service providers, and community stakeholders to address the transition needs of youth with disabilities. The 5-year federally funded project aims to enhance transition services through systems change: developing responsive case management and…