Schools face major challenges today that have been created by reform initiatives and expectations from Florida and federal legislation. This article focuses on the impact of accountability mandates on student achievement through the responses of central Florida school administrators at the elementary, middle, and high school levels. They were…

The implementation of No Child Left Behind (NCLB) federal legislation in 2001 exemplifies extreme reaction to an escalating public unrest with educational systems over the past several decades of "educational reform." Effective public relations and communication with stakeholders is threatened during this time of increased public…

What is the civic mission of the research university in a modern society? How does it challenge the Public Relations professionals of universities? The Finnish Higher Education Evaluation Council, a specialist organ of the Ministry of Education, has conducted several university evaluations with special emphasis on the regional role of Finnish…

This article describes the early experience of an Information Officer appointed within a newly formed primary health care team in the new township of Cambourne, west of Cambridge. The post was jointly defined and funded through a partnership between Cambridgeshire Libraries, the Primary Care Trust and Monkfield Medical Practice. The article…

Nonprofit organizations, such as social service agencies, charities, and hospitals, plan and prepare communications that are vital to their missions. Although not corporations, these organizations produce news releases, newsletters, and annual reports that are similar to those created in the corporate sector. In this research project for a course…

One of the major challenges that Canadian government officials felt they faced at the end of the nineteenth century was the development of the prairie West. By this time there were large urban centers in eastern Canada, but many Canadians worried that they had not truly ensured the future existence of their country. To do this the government…

For more than 40 years, Penta Career Center in Perrysburg, Ohio, has successfully served thousands of high school students and adults from Northwest Ohio. Calling a converted 1949 United States Army Depot building home, Penta serves students from 16 surrounding school districts, and offers programs in six core areas: arts and communications;…

Sophisticated public relations is being practiced in the Middle East. However, the models used in that region are not identical to American models, nor are they identical to those in other Western countries usually considered part of the "First World." In particular, Moslem culture heavily influences Middle East practice. Can the ethics…

Incorporation of management principles in the classroom can motivate students to successfully complete project work. The Communication Arts Department at Georgia Southern University developed a Public Relations Event Management course in which the students were responsible for planning a campus-wide special event to raise funds for two clients.…

The 1990 Kentucky Education Reform Act (KERA) provided, among other measures, a new governance body for schools called "School Councils." These school-based, decision-making councils are composed of parents and teachers and headed by principals. This paper presents findings of a study that explored the effects of KERA's provision for…

Based on the idea that to be successful, a student organization must have a sound public relations and publicity program, this handbook considers techniques of internal communication that establish good public relations with various special groups: the student body, the administration, the faculty, and the staff. The handbook states that…

An exploratory study examined relationships between interpersonal communication theory and public relations from 1970 to 1990. One hundred thirty-six public relations campaign cases recognized for excellence by the Public Relations Society of America were analyzed for applicability of seven interpersonal theoretical perspectives. Information…

The first 2 hours following a crisis can determine the public's lasting perception of an educational system or organization. Following the assumption that crises are inevitable, school administrators must be prepared to communicate quickly and accurately to avoid being judged unfairly. This book offers strategies to public-sector educators who are…

This paper reports on a proposed project to be undertaken to improve the morale, image, and service of the Bursar's Office at Nova Southeastern University. The project calls for: (1) a brainstorming meeting of the bursar's office staff; (2) bursar's office staff to offer suggestions to improve services; (3) the encouragement of teamwork and…

The Public Relations section of this collection of conference papers contains the following six papers: "Spanning the Boundaries: Support for First Amendment Rights among Public Relations Practitioners, Journalists and the Public" (Robert O. Wyatt and Sharon S. Smith); "Organizational Factors That Contribute to Practicing…