Argues that institutional effectiveness is a multidimensional construct that varies according to the perspective of the stakeholder. Identifies core effectiveness indicators derived from a survey given to a wide range of college staff in three key areas: student outcomes, institutional processes, and fiscal and human resources. Contains four data…

Discusses the effectiveness of four models of school/agency partnerships as vehicles for professional development and educational reform--models based on level of involvement, interaction, impact, or organization. Across models, common characteristics of effective partnerships include dynamism, mutual goals, parity, and commitment. Partnerships in…

Reports findings from a two-and-a-half-year study of 24 Puerto Rican families in an urban elementary school so as to discover their natural support strengths. Results show that helping with homework was very important to these families. Suggests that school social workers are in an excellent position to serve as liaisons between school, family,…

Discusses the impact of socioeconomic and demographic changes on rural schools and their need for new inclusive strategies. Identifies five principles for planning inclusive strategies: collaboration; family-centered and community-based schooling; programs and learning environments that match student needs; meeting public standards; and…

Examines factors currently affecting the viability of small elementary schools (90 students or less) in England and Wales. While centralization of educational control since 1988 has worsened the educational and economic environment for small schools, locally based support strategies (interschool cooperation, anti-closure campaigns, voluntary fund…

Four elementary schools and two local organizations in Seattle's South End collaborated to improve student performance, strengthen the community, and create a model for school reform. Programs included day care, one-on-one reading workshops, volunteer mentors, community events, adult education, and writing workshops. Presents four tips for…

Rural Josephine County, Oregon, used federal Enterprise Community funds to revitalize its communities. The elementary school serves as a hub, sharing resources with a parenting and preschool center, a coalition of 26 service providers, and the Enterprise Community organization. Describes how communities cooperate in providing adult education,…

Describes the most significant educational reform efforts of the past two decades that have been premised primarily either on professionalism or greater community inclusion, illustrating some contemporary reforms that embody both professionalism and community in their strategies for school change, and examining themes needing further attention in…

Describes a freshman composition course that combines service learning and composition theory by having students publish Internet profiles of local social-service agencies. The project concludes a year-long course examining American social issues, drawing on varied texts and genres, and emphasizing social construction, active learning, the…

Discusses dental schools' role in meeting oral-health needs of populations that lack access to care, and describes a Columbia University (New York) program providing dental-health services in Central Harlem. The program provides screening and prevention for school children, improves access to care for the entire population, and creates…

The executive vice-president of the University of Pennsylvania is credited with making significant changes in both the administration and the campus, using cost-cutting and change strategies from his business experience. Outsourcing, training for employees who might be terminated, substantial savings and new revenue, and gentrification of…

At the University of Minnesota, the Center for Urban and Regional Affairs was established as an all-university unit with resources to establish community connections, facilitate and support faculty and graduate student urban research and outreach, and help integrate urban concerns into a large, urban-located land-grant university. Its structure,…

Describes a pilot program designed to strengthen children's transition from preschool programs to kindergarten. Discusses three major components: kindergarten registration drive for parents; a series of parent information nights; and kindergarten school visits over the course of the school year. Offers sample format for an hour-long kindergarten…

Describes incidents of school violence in the Northwest, the young killers' personalities, characteristics of extremely aggressive children, and factors that reduce such children's potential for violence. Highlights from "Early Warning, Timely Response: A Guide to Safe Schools" (August 1998) list early warning signs, what schools can do, and what…

Describes a federally funded Javits project that involved two rural elementary schools with a primarily Hispanic population. The project was designed to develop an alternative community-based assessment procedure for identifying gifted minority students. Identified students were taught using a developed science curriculum that focused on problem…