This paper discusses two conferences that focus on readership and authorship in an attempt to make reading and writing more significant in the lives of young people. The Arizona Young Authors Conference provides a wide range of opportunities for students to write and to begin to realize their potential as young writers. Participating children,…

The steps involved in conducting a valid needs assessment are described and some problems to be avoided are discussed. Needs assessment begins with a set of educational goals. It is important that community opinion be obtained regarding the goals to ensure that they represent the interests of all involved in the educational process. Once the goals…

An educational program's quality and relevance can be guaranteed only if the needs of the students it serves are accommodated. To be certain that the program meets these needs, parents and students must be involved in its planning and implementation. One vehicle to achieve this goal is the parent advisory council. Prepared for the parents and…

The 14 documents and articles in this annotated bibliography include discussions that attempt to define or delimit what curriculum planning and evaluation are as well as discussions that address more specific aspects of the topic, such as the board of education role in the curriculum, decentralization's effect on the curriculum, participative…

The symposium papers presented in this publication are based on a continuing program of research in ten rural school districts. The program, "Project Rural," is part of the Experimental Schools program, which emphasizes a holistic approach to educational change--one requiring simultaneous change in curriculum, staff development, community…

The result of a cooperative effort between the Illinois Office of Education and the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction, this manual establishes a framework to help educators and concerned citizens plan and implement a local Right to Read program. Inherent in the philosophy reflected in this manual is the assumption that the impetus for…

Secondary level composition classes can benefit from the assignment of factual papers. While literary analysis falls prey to subjective evaluation, the organization and synthesis of factual information eludes judgemental decisions. In addition, this approach can be relevant to the society in which the student lives by providing a field of subject…

This paper describes the organization and function of the Instructional Improvement Committee (IIC) system developed by the Jefferson County (Alabama) School System. Each school in the system has its own IIC, chaired by the school principal; the principal arranges for the election of at least one representative each from the various groups within…

This publication consists of two separate but related parts, a handbook that discusses possible approaches to developing improved school-community collaboration and a resource directory that lists approximately 800 agencies and publications that may be helpful to educators and citizens who are contemplating some type of collaborative arrangement.…

As part of a series on library services to disadvantaged adults, this pamphlet provides guidelines for the use of community advisory committees in libraries: the duties and capabilities of such committees, their influence on the library, and their relationships with library boards. The size and composition of the committee are considered, as are…

Prompted from several directions, the Stone Foundation sponsored this exploratory workshop on community self-help and mutual aid efforts. The purposes identified for the conference were: (1) to enhance the functions of self-help groups by creating new opportunities for them to learn from others; (2) to find ways to share more widely what is known…

This interim evaluation reports on the progress of an extensive drug education program in a St. Louis, Missouri school district. Designed to meet seven overall objectives, the project calls for comparisons between experimental and control groups at the elementary and secondary level. Far-reaching activities including staff orientation and…

Increasingly, structures such as a principal's advisory committee are being mandated by school boards and legislatures in order to facilitate community representation and involvement. Twelve suggestions are offered to help principals cope with and benefit from community participation. (Author/MLF)

A second bimonthly report describes progress made on six tasks enumerated in earlier reports and specifically points out three new issues raised by the demonstration: the question of the use of telecommunication for other than educational purposes, the discrepancy between the project's concept and reality, and the usefulness of a project for…

Over the past decade, a new phenomenon has emerged in school districts across the country--the use of volunteers to help students learn. It was inevitable that community members would ultimately respond to the tremendous needs of children in schools, as it was inevitable that professional educators would have to use additional resources to meet…