Uses research on organizations to analyze the impact of coordination on program quality, efficiency, and accountability of programs providing school-linked services for children. Coordination is not a panacea, but it can improve the existing fragmented system by enabling a more holistic response to children's needs. (SLD)

Most effective schools share a number of key characteristics, including clear-cut goals and objectives, adequate funding and financial management, quality academic programs, valid assessment programs, parent and family involvement, teacher and staff development, high expectations for students, community involvement, comprehensive support services,…

Uses the five stages of creativity designed by psychologist Jacob Getzel--first insight, saturation, incubation, illumination, and verification--to describe a mural project in a rural community college. Reports that the project successfully paired students with community members to paint two local murals. (NB)

A case study of Davis Bilingual Magnet School in Tucson (Arizona) observed and interviewed teachers, parents, students, and community members. The school's success results from strong community support and an educational environment that privileges Spanish. Although Davis students do well on standardized tests, the school's greatest pride comes…

Discusses the importance of curriculum integration for helping teachers make sense of standards in a curriculum relevant to students. Describes two middle school class projects that demonstrate these principles: one in which students explored their skills and attitudes in relation to local businesses, the other, in which students helped build…

Researchers and policymakers have pointed to the lagging scores of eighth graders on international, national, and state assessments as evidence that students are not prepared to meet high academic standards and that middle grades reform is needed. In response to these concerns, educators have introduced reforms designed to provide middle-level…

This policy brief outlines how the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB) relates to high schools: (1) States must set adequate yearly progress (AYP) objectives (steadily increasing test scores and graduation rates) to ensure 100 percent of high school students achieve at proficient levels by spring 2014; (2) States must include high school graduation…

This resource describes how pregnancy prevention efforts can be integrated into the various components of a school health program (the linkages between classroom instruction to prevent adolescent pregnancy and the school's health and mental health services, the necessary administrative policies, the type and extent of faculty and staff…

This article examines the outcomes of participation in mental health Consumer/Survivor Initiatives (CSIs) and identifies helpful qualities of CSIs through a longitudinal, qualitative study that involved in-depth interviews of people who experienced severe mental health challenges in Ontario, Canada. We used a nonequivalent control group design in…

Emphasizing strong partnerships with family and community, the School-Based Early Childhood Centers Project of the Child, Family, and Community Program (CFCP) identifies, develops, and evaluates early childhood partnerships with six Northwest school sites to provide case studies of the restructuring process. This report presents the results of a…

Updating the 1990 edition, this book emphasizes the importance of designing public relations programs around the needs and problems of the school and its special publics. The book approaches the subject from the perspective that increased interest and importance is being placed on community relations skills and schools, suggesting that two…

In the last 5 to 10 years, various organizations and federal agencies have identified and given recognition to projects using exemplary educational practices with Indian student populations. This document describes 15 innovative, often grassroots, projects previously validated by the Bureau of Indian Affairs, the Office of Indian Education, or…

This information packet presented here in both the English and French language versions, summarizes the results of a public consultation on the subject of child care reform in Ontario, Canada. The packet consists of: (1) a table that describes the six modes of consultation that were used in the consultation process (public meetings, round table…

All over America, young adolescents' experiences of growing up have changed dramatically in the past two decades. Family life for adolescents has changed, adolescents face greater risks to their health, and greater risks of being poorly educated for the next century. Families, schools, and community organizations, the three pivotal institutions…

Although this training manual was developed as a tool for trainers of African American and rural family caregivers of elders with dementia, it can easily be adapted for trainers of caregivers (both formal and informal) of persons other than those with dementia. The first section educates potential trainers about dementia, rural issues, ethnic…