Purpose: The purpose of this Editorial is to introduce key themes in the area of student-community engagement (SCE) and the papers included in this special issue. Design/methodology/approach: The paper discusses dominant trends in the current context. Findings: The selection of papers in this issue represent the range of programmes that have been…

What is "environmental education"? Perhaps the most simplistic view is that it is only curriculum that pertains directly to the environment. But, another way to define environmental education is to focus on the frameworks within which these issues are examined. For instance, almost all environmental problems are examined through a scientific lens,…

This article examines school leadership behaviors and understandings of Somaliland school principals. By using postcolonial theory and critical phenomenology, we explore culturally responsive leadership in Northern Somalia; we expound on the unique ways that school leaders enact school leadership, and interact with the students, families, and…

Public libraries have long supported the literacy goals of public schools in their communities by providing access to printed and electronic resources that enhance learning and teaching. This article describes an ongoing collaboration between the Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh's BLAST outreach program and the Pittsburgh Public Schools that has…

It has been projected that 33% of all school children will be from immigrant households by the year 2040 (Suarez-Orozco et al., 2010). For school personnel (e.g., administrators, counselors, teachers) working with immigrant youth and adolescents, understanding ethnic identity development is an essential cultural competency. In this essay, the…

Philanthropists across the country have long supported local schools and even funded new ones--primarily charters. These investments make a difference, sometimes a big one. At best, however, these are small-scale successes compared to the challenge of improving educational outcomes and life prospects for students across a whole district. The…

This brief reports on the early stages and initial successes of turnaround efforts in a California school district. With administrators and educators in the midst of implementing a robust reform agenda, there are clear signs that the district is on the rise. The reform initiatives have stopped a downward slide in student attendance, behavior, and…

This EPI Policy Perspectives covers a presentation given at the European University Association Annual Convention (March 20, 2009, in Prague, Czech Republic) that addresses the Bologna process in the European Union. The process raised many questions regarding the role of the university, and the entire tertiary/postsecondary system of education.…

The paper presents a successful educational practice that, inspired by the "dialogic learning" methodological principles, is implemented through a "learning community." Theoretical bases are introduced, along with some defining traits of didactic practice. The focus is on the 'La Paz' "learning community" case, as a…

Background/Context: Over the past two decades, scholars have increasingly called for educational leaders to collaborate with community-based organizations in their efforts to bring about school reform. Observing that school reform efforts often fail to include those most impacted by failing policies and practices, these scholars have turned their…

The mission of The Research University Civic Engagement Network (TRUCEN) is to advance civic engagement and engaged scholarship among research universities. TRUCEN has adopted the following goals for advancing civic engagement and engaged scholarship as part of the core mission of all research universities: (1) Encourage community-engaged…

Background: Joint use or community use policies are state-, district-, or school-level policies that allow for shared use of space or facilities between a school and a city or private organization. For this study, we (1) created an inventory of community use policies within Missouri school districts; (2) analyzed the policies for content, and (3)…

Student learning and development are a function of both individual and systemic factors. Individual factors include students' motivation as well as their intellectual and social abilities. Systemic factors include teacher quality, administrative leadership, community engagement, and learning environments. The increasing numbers of children living…

When the U.S. Census Bureau began releasing population reports from the 2010 count, the findings reaffirmed demographers' projections about the nation's rapidly changing racial, ethnic, and economic makeup. African-American, Hispanic, Asian, and Native American populations grew about 30 percent since 2000 and will account for a majority of the…

A school district in western Washington commits to developing physically fit and healthy students, not only as a means of enhancing learning but as a whole child goal in its own right. This is a report on how it does so in partnership with its community, believing that it is only through such a partnership that it can reach its goals. The central…