Vermont state legislation provides additional funding to small schools--those enrolling fewer than 100 students. To meet legislative requirements, a study group examined costs, educational quality, and consolidation issues in Vermont's small schools. In 1996-97, Vermont had 50 small schools (16 percent of all public schools), primarily K-6…

A survey of educators in 161 U.S. schools, colleges, and departments of education (SCDEs) examined the preparation of teachers to work with families and communities. The survey included questions on the demographic characteristics and present course offerings of the SCDE; attitudes and perspectives of the respondents about school, family, and…

Mentoring at-risk students has become one of the fastest growing and frequently used strategies across the nation to help young people. This document examines the structure and implementation of mentoring programs. Chapter 1 discusses mentoring as an appropriate and effective strategy. The mentoring relationship is examined, natural versus planned…

Rural people in their environment have the necessary attributes to successfully endure and survive those trials that would lead to urban decline. As societal problems require increased investment in existing institutions, the growing complexity eventually yields a lower level of benefits or returns. Urban problems such as hunger, homelessness, and…

A study investigated the extent that junior secondary school headmasters in Botswana believed their activities in three domains of headmaster responsibility--instructional supervision, school management, and community relations--contributed to improved student performance. A second focus was to compare the ways in which headmasters who differed in…

The vision for parent involvement presented in this document supports the California State Board of Education's policy initiative on parent involvement. Adopted in January 1989, the initiative includes a policy that encourages school districts and schools to implement long-term, comprehensive programs that build on the strengths of families. The…

This report is designed to help the state, local school systems, and schools plan, implement, and assess parent/community involvement programs to promote greater student success. Following an introduction and an executive summary highlighting the state team's findings, section 1 discusses research on the relationship of parent involvement to…

Guidelines for developing a communications strategy for educators involved in school restructuring are offered in this handbook, which stresses the necessity of building support among different audiences. Chapter 1 discusses getting started and explains how to develop a state/district and school communications plan. Chapter 2 offers ways to build…

This monograph includes six papers presented at a meeting sponsored by the Departments of Religious Education and Secondary Schools of the National Catholic Education Association. The papers include: (1) "What Makes a School Catholic?" (William J. O'Malley); (2) "Catholicity: A Tradition of Contemplation" (Thomas Keating); (3) "Catholic Identity…

Issues in interagency collaboration and the experiences of a collaborative effort in a rural, economically depressed county of Colorado are discussed in this paper. The first section reviews the concepts of cooperation and collaboration as they relate to interagency activities and offers a literature review. The second section presents the…

The Indiana Public School/University Partnership (IPS/UP) hosted this forum for its member organizations, 13 school corporations and Indiana University, in order (1) to promote the sharing of ideas between university and public school faculty and staff, and (2) to provide an opportunity for discussions with representatives of various public…

Findings of a study that examined effective parent involvement programs in selected Texas secondary schools are presented in this paper. Surveys were mailed to a total sample of 464 respondents in 35 secondary schools identified as exemplary--35 principals, 35 counselors, 175 teachers, 175 parents, 22 district superintendents, and 22 district…

Parents can be involved in a variety of ways with their schools. This book shows how to establish and maintain a home-school connection in which parents play educational roles to enrich the school program. As educators, parents can serve as spectators, organizers, instructors, and learners. Many of the strategies and examples cited are drawn from…

Resilience is a quality that characterizes children who, though exposed to significant stress and adversity in their lives, do not succumb to the school and life failures predicted for them. Recent research suggests ways that schools and communities can protect children from the threats that confront individuals and families. This digest…

Institutions of higher education have been unable or unwilling to make constructive and consistent use of student leadership as an advocate for the institutions. This is especially paradoxical in the case of community colleges, since two-year college students often have significant links to the community. If the potential for leadership among…