A youth community informatics (YCI) research project intersected an inquiry learning model with the making of audiovisual podcasts to foster personal growth and community engagement in a group of Mexican American youth enrolled in an afterschool program. Specifically, the article describes the cycle of inquiry together with the development of a…

Research continues to support the many teaching and learning benefits of one-to-one laptop learning. Benefits range from improved student engagement and teacher-student interactions to the attainment of 21st century skills and the transformation of teacher practice. Additional benefits include improved student writing skills, increased teacher…

One of the most misunderstood issues in pre-K-12 education today is how to educate children who are not yet proficient in English. When policymakers refer to these students as English language learners (ELLs)--as many school district officials presently do--or as limited English proficient students (LEPs)--as federal legislators did in the No…

Recently, various scholars have remarked that university continuing education (UCE) is moving away from one of its original core foci, that of social justice. In this article, the possible causes of this are discussed, including current political environments, the role of universities and academics in perpetuating or disrupting the status quo, and…

Purpose: The overall purpose of this exploratory research was to better understand rural educators' feelings about school-based sex education in order to foster better communication and collaboration between prevention researchers and rural teachers and administrators. In order to accomplish this purpose, the research question asked "How does…

In 2000, the National Trust for Historic Preservation included neighborhood schools in its list of America's Eleven Most Endangered Historic Places, noting how many small neighborhood schools were closing. In rural areas, particularly, this may be caused by steadily declining enrollment that has forced districts to consolidate and close one, or…

Researchers and policy makers have questioned the efficacy of family-involvement interventions. They believe that more studies are needed to compare outcomes of students whose families received a partnership intervention with those who did not. The author used data from the state of Ohio to compare student attendance in elementary schools that…

This interpretive study explored the qualities of six high-performing schools that served low-income South African students. The theoretical framework and methodology derived from research on effective schools conducted, for the most part, in the United States. Data consisted of interviews and classroom observations over the course of two…

This paper focuses on a case study pilot project working with a small group of children aged 6- to 10-years-old in a village in the northeast of England. The study was established to examine children's attitudes to environmental issues, particularly their involvement in environmental decisions and their feelings about planning, design and…

Communities In Schools (CIS) was introduced to Cormack Trail School District in 1991. Using a whole-school philosophy it offers non-targeted programming to all children through the building of community-based partnerships and community involvement. The purpose of this article is to explore what participants said about their work with CIS: where…

Community Sustainability is a supplementary environmental education mini-curriculum for grades 9-12 designed to provide students with information about the emerging community sustainability movement as well as environmental action skills that will facilitate their participation. It contains interdisciplinary lessons that provide students with…

This document lists 39 selected initiatives to improve the quality of family child care. The initiatives include partnerships between family child care providers and provider associations, resource and referral agencies, corporations, community colleges, government, and public libraries. Included among the selected initiatives are (1) national…

Employing the community attachment model, a study hypothesized that the greater the personal experiences in and the greater the attachments to a community, the greater the reading of the local newspaper. The primary logic is that social ties and feelings of attachment generate needs for information that can be satisfied through reading of the…

This manual is an introduction to organizing schools and the community into an alliance for the prevention of alcohol and other drug abuse. It was written for people who have had little or no experience in organizing. It is hoped that this guide will help readers to analyze their situations so they can plan prevention and early intervention…

Designed for elementary and secondary school library media personnel, this fact sheet briefly outlines the need for and methods of public relations. The document emphasizes that because library media programs are vulnerable to budget cuts, the need exists to educate those making fiscal decisions on the role of these materials in the curriculum. A…