Twenty years of research on school performance has created a body of knowledge that grounds today's school improvement efforts and has resulted in a concise list of characteristics that are common to high-performing schools. As accountability becomes more and more important, educational leaders across the nation are actively attempting to foster…

The close relationship that Peace Corps volunteers develop with their communities and schools places them in a unique position to influence the behaviors and attitudes of the young women with whom they work. Workshops, camps, clubs, special events, and conversations all have the potential to promote decision-making skills, encourage goal setting,…

On September 9th and 10th, 1999, four leaders of three communitywide educational collaborations met to discuss their experiences in promoting large-scale education reform spanning elementary, secondary, and postsecondary levels. They had met over the last 6 years through their participation in the Community Compacts for Student Success initiative.…

Now in its Second Edition, "The School Superintendent: Theory, Practice, and Cases," provides reflective summaries, pertinent questions, and case studies at the end of each chapter to encourage the reader to engage in reflection by linking content with personal experiences. The text provides a comprehensive analysis of the evolution of the school…

Public libraries that engage and employ teenagers can realize mutual benefits, including meaningful activities for young people and strengthened ties between libraries and their communities. This report summarizes both the potential benefits and challenges learned from Wallace's Public Libraries as Partners in Youth Development initiative. The…

This paper describes a unique library fund raiser at California State University (Northridge). "A Trial for the Books" was a dog agility trial held on April 26-27, 1996 as a benefit for the university's Oviatt Library. The event was hosted by West Valley DogSports, a community group. The event raised approximately $2,500 for the…

This essay is an attempt to continue the reflective element that was a part of a dissertation based on a study of the development of a culturally relevant curriculum in a tribal school. As a reflective retrospection on the anthropological research methodology, it examines the intersection of academic research traditions, the traditions of the…

The millennium marks the beginning of a second century for the formal system of juvenile justice in the United States. From its inception, the central focus of the system has been delinquency, an amorphous construct that includes not only "criminal" behavior but also an array of youthful actions that offend prevailing social norms. Thus,…

A position paper addresses the current round of school closings in the District of Columbia arguing that these closings are not within the context of the 10-year educational facilities plan that included community input, and valid criteria for closing decisions being consistently and objectively applied. Current closings decisions are viewed as…

In Chicago, local school councils (LSCs) with a majority of elected parent and community members, exercise substantial school-level decision making powers. They hire their school principals on performance contracts, set priorities for school improvement, and determine school budgets. This report summarizes two 1997 studies that analyzed LSC…

This publication presents information on how neighborhood residents can be involved in collecting needed information about their community which they can use to guide reform efforts. Researchers interviewed people with experience collecting information at the neighborhood level, other researchers, leaders of community based organizations, and…

A study was conducted in order to determine the specific classroom qualities and characteristics that promote and motivate students to develop attitudes and behaviors conducive to civic participation. One classroom is a bi-lingual sixth grade, located in an older neighborhood school in a coastal southern California city and the other is a…

This report showcases four programs nationally recognized as leaders in family literacy--each of these programs has participated in a validation process sponsored by the National Diffusion Network (NDN), an agency of the United States Department of Education that disseminates information and training about exemplary educational programs and…

This annotated reference list is organized for a quick review of citizen participation information sources. Resources and readings are intended to be a starting point for researchers, practitioners, and others who are looking for information about citizen participation. The document includes the following sections: (1) "General Links to Citizen…

This report offers findings and recommendations by the National Campaign To Prevent Teen Pregnancy. Nearly one million teens become pregnant annually. The teen birth rate increased 24 percent between 1986-91 and has fallen 20 percent since then. Overall, too many parents and adult leaders do not take a strong stand against teen pregnancy. Strident…