This study examines how communities participate in schools across diverse contexts in developing countries and the results attributed to community participation. It reviews evaluations of participatory approaches to education in developing countries to answer two basic questions: 1) How do communities participate in school in developing countries?…

Building the research capacity of the vocational education and training (VET) sector is a key concern for the National Centre for Vocational Education Research (NCVER). To assist with this objective, NCVER supports an academic scholarship program, whereby VET practitioners are sponsored to undertake university study at honours', master's or…

Community participation in program decision-making and implementation is an ideal that community and academic stakeholders aspire to in participatory research. This ideal, however, can be difficult to achieve. We describe lessons learned about community participation from a quasi-experimental trial aimed at reducing the uptake of smoking among…

Since 1984, public schools have undergone three waves of reform. An effort to raise student achievement was followed by putting greater demands on teachers. The current and third wave emphasizes using the resources of business, industry, and the community to improve education. The goals of this reform movement were codified in the America 2000…

Noting that disadvantaged communities in South Africa can be empowered by involving parents and communities in the development of preschool education programs, this report presents the achievements of South Africa's Early Childhood Education and Care (educare) programs. Educare aims to develop the young child's potential to be a meaningful part of…

This paper outlines citizenship issues facing the United States today and presents ways to address these issues in society. Voter turnout, welfare issues, the national service program debate, curriculum reform, and multiculturalism all interface with issues of citizenship in a democracy. Elements contributing to the modern understanding of…

Policies and procedures for developing a successful school volunteer program within Catholic schools are presented in this booklet. Chapter 1 describes the philosophy of a volunteer support program, which stresses the importance of volunteer involvement for developing schools as functional communities. Chapter 2 presents reasons why volunteers are…

This handbook is designed to guide readers in developing a local assessment of the community's progress toward the National Education Goals. It is organized around those questions that the National Education Goals Panel has used to measure national and state progress in its 1991 report. Information in the introduction includes the history of the…

Strategic planning is a rational, private-sector planning model that results in a document outlining the "ideal vision" for the individual, organization, and society. Public schools gained familiarity with strategic planning through the American Association of School Administrators, who sponsor the activity as a combination of rational…

Throughout all levels of American government, a shift is taking place from the rigid, wasteful, centralized bureaucracies of the industrial era to the more flexible, entrepreneurial, decentralized government needed to succeed in today's world. This shift has been brought about by an unprecedented, ongoing fiscal crisis that has created a sudden…

The degree to which children should have a voice in anything is the subject of strongly divergent opinion. There are many examples of children who organize themselves successfully without adult help. Children need to know that along with any rights they have come certain responsibilities. Youth participation in decision making can range from…

To reassess the attitude of principals toward community involvement in a southern unitary school system, data were collected from a two-part questionnaire completed by a research population of 84 urban-suburban school principals. The two major research questions related to whether or not principals express positive, facilitative attitudes toward…

"Operation Kanyengehaga" is a tutorial program being implemented by community volunteers and St. Lawrence University student volunteers. Located on the St. Regis Indian Reservation, this program's needs and priorities are established by the parents and leaders of the reservation. (AH)

The role of the educator can become one of identifying the various community resources of an educational nature that can be utilized by learners. An elementary school project at Red Oak, Iowa, and a University of Nebraska graduate student project utilizing community resources are described. (BP)