Most African countries have devoted considerable attention to educating the generations of people born since the independence era. Despite their efforts, however, African governments continue to face rising illiteracy, grade-repetition, and drop-out rates, as well as growing numbers of expulsions. This report presents a synthesis of the main…

Connecticut uses local education foundations to improve public education. These are not-for-profit organizations created and managed by local citizens, with the primary mission of improving public education at the local level. Connecticut foundations are as diverse as Connecticut communities. Most are totally volunteer managed. Currently,…

Schools that students experience as safe and supportive will be more successful at promoting student achievement and developing qualities such as good character and citizenship. However, this commonsensible priority is sometimes slighted when other issues demand a school's attention. This guide identifies four core elements necessary to create and…

This interview with Dianne Roberts, director of the Minimbah Aboriginal Preschool in Armidale, New South Wales (Australia), explores research issues, leadership styles, and how decision making and responsibilities are handled at Minimbah. Incoming researchers must show how research will benefit the community under study, how they will work in…

An Australian study was conducted to develop a strategy for safe use of farm chemicals by Asian migrant market gardeners in Western Sydney. The researchers chose to use participatory approaches for which policy makers and development practitioners had in other studies shown enthusiasm, although this enthusiasm could not at times be sustained…

A growing number of cultural, educational, and social service programs around the United States report success in reducing teenage school drop-out rates, unemployment, substance abuse, and pregnancy. Facilitators of these programs claim that long-lasting impact requires not only informing young persons about the real dangers of such behavior, but…

Through Title V Incentive Grants for Local Delinquency Prevention Programs (Community Prevention Grants), the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP) allocated $20 million in fiscal year 1997 to states to complement law enforcement and justice system efforts by helping local communities foster strong families and nurture…

This study used ethnographic case-study methods to document four school-linked service initiatives that are moving in the direction of collaboration among local agencies and schools, and family empowerment. The projects vary in terms of population served and programmatic focus, and each program has one or more of the components required to make…

The purpose of this guide is to help citizen advocates create and improve the environmental practices of industry and government in the Great Lakes Basin. The practices advocated focus on pollution prevention instead of relying solely on pollution control. An introduction examines the larger issues of pollution prevention and zero discharge as the…

Suggesting that a literature-rich classroom environment encourages, supports, and celebrates the role of children's literature throughout every aspect of the elementary curriculum, this book presents plans, procedures, and units that engage teachers, stimulate students, and energize classroom learning environments. The first part addresses the…

With the move toward democracy in many countries and the changes of globalization, nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) play a greater role in providing social services. Organizations such as UNICEF, USAID, and the World Bank recognize the important role that NGOs could play in education development projects, particularly in the effort to achieve…

Fourche Valley School District in central Arkansas has a single K-12 school serving 157 students. Surrounded by the Ouachita National Forest, Fourche Valley is unusually isolated and lacking in economic opportunity, leading to "low aspirations" among students who desire to remain in the area. Nevertheless, the school is thriving in the…

This study examines how one Mississippi elementary school countered the growing trend toward minority isolation with the Community and Home Access for Mississippi Parents and Students project, which was designed to combat white flight, improve academic performance on standardized reading tests, and increase access to technology. Project components…

This paper describes the Helping Our Teachers (HOT) Program, a community volunteer program started in the fall of 2000 at Julia P. Bryant Elementary School in Statesboro, Georgia. The purpose of the program is to formally organize all parent volunteers to help teachers and staff with school-related activities previously shouldered by…

In 1999, Public Education Network received a 3-year grant as part of a set of projects to better link research and data to policy and practice change. The project was intended to build public knowledge and understanding of how to improve teaching through the collection, analysis, and dissemination of data on teachers and teaching. The project…