This booklet addresses student membership on local boards of education. It is intended to serve as guide for boards considering adding youth to their membership. It discusses the following topics: (1) the benefits to both students and the board of youth serving as board members; (2) researching issues before accepting students on boards; (3)…

An action research project implemented a program for the development of citizenship, cultural awareness, and positive character attributes. Targeted population consisted of middle and high school students in several growing, middle class communities located in northern Illinois. Problems of lack of awareness and sensitivity are documented through…

A global thematic study on literacy and adult education considered trends and innovations particularly salient during the World Conference on Education for All (WCEFA) decade. According to the most recent UNESCO statistics, world illiteracy rates dropped over the last 20-30 years because of increased primary school enrollments, yet the actual…

Under the leadership of a new superintendent, Nebraska City (Nebraska) school district coordinated curriculum across the K-12 grades and schools by involving the teachers and community. At multiple department meetings, staff held conversations about student performance objectives. Community conversations were held with a cross-section of parents,…

This document explains the advantages of afterschool programs for students and describes the components that make them successful. The major benefits from such programs are increased safety for children, a reduction in risk taking among children participating, and improved learning. Among the elements that characterize high quality afterschool…

This is a report on a school-wide ethnographic study of intervention strategies for at-risk students in kindergarten through second grade. A group of 5 teachers from an elementary school of approximately 250 students in a Midwest community of about 18,000 people (2 first-grade teachers, 2 second-grade teachers, and 1 music teacher) comprised the…

Many communities across the country have set for themselves the goal of enhancing school readiness. But what does school readiness mean, and how do communities know whether they have achieved it? This research brief is intended to help communities invest wisely in school readiness initiatives. It begins by summarizing recommendations from the…

As part of ongoing research into rural school improvement, the North Central Regional Educational Laboratory (NCREL) at the request of its Rural Advisory Council set out to find, examine, and profile exemplary, successful school improvement programs in rural schools and districts in the upper Midwest. This paper is a summary of the first year…

The study reviews what is known from research about school-family-community involvement programs. Collectively, recent studies and earlier research indicate a strong relationship between family involvement and improved academic performance. Family involvement is also associated with other key outcomes such as attendance and behavior, which are…

Multicultural education shows promise for reducing tensions between diverse ethnic, racial, religious, and national-origin groups. Schools, in conjunction with individuals, families, communities and the media, should develop and implement multicultural programs which will foster more positive attitudes. (MH)

This article presents the major issues, trends, interpretations, and difficulties facing Primary Health Care (PHC) personnel in taking the drastic steps required to reform the health care system. The author argues that PHC aims to enable people to take responsibility for their own health and further the redistribution of resources. (SSH)

The family life education model developed in Santa Cruz County (California) schools has confirmed the importance of four factors in program development: (1) community involvement and support; (2) administrative involvement and support; (3) effective and acceptable curriculum; and (4) effective teacher training. (JN)

Hard times for higher education will make community understanding and support more important than ever. Institutions must look for creative ways to involve themselves in community relations and community services. Organizing, setting measurable objectives, the urban challenge, serving as information center, promoting campus services, and…

Bilingual Yavapai-Apache youth have some Yavapai linguistic competence and limited performance skills, yet Yavapai is important to them. A bicultural-bilingual curriculum emphasizing culture and history minicourses taught by community members can help revitalize the fading Yavapai culture and provide cross-cultural education for non-Indians as…

To continue high quality secondary agriculture education programs needs must be met with strong (1) recruiting, (2) summer teachers' programs, (3) teachers' professional background, (4) classroom approach, and (5) community involvement. (LRA)