The National Institute on Disability and Rehabilitation Research (NIDRR) "Long-Range Plan for Fiscal Years 2005-09" (the "Plan") provides an agenda for achieving advancements in applied rehabilitation research that will benefit people with disabilities in the United States. This executive summary describes the purposes and…

Engaging young people as partners in community change is a compelling idea, but translating that idea into effective practice requires focused attention to a range of issues. The principles described in this paper emerged from the commingling of research and practice that occurred when the Forum for Youth Investment merged with Community IMPACT!…

What is the place of the arts in our schools? In a world of high-stakes testing and accountability, can schools "afford" to teach the arts? This "Informed Educator" explores why many who have studied this issue consider the arts to have an important role in the curriculum. Examples of the ways some leaders effectively communicate the benefits of…

As more and more students from diverse backgrounds populate 21st century classrooms and efforts mount to identify effective methods to teach these students, the need for pedagogical approaches that are culturally responsive intensifies. Today's classrooms require teachers to educate students varying in culture, language, abilities, and many other…

In this article, the author discusses a project that turns residents of some of South Leeds' most deprived neighbourhoods into community researchers and is giving people an opportunity to make concrete, positive changes to their communities. Armed with homemade tools, some coloured pens, and masses of post-it notes, the "Community…

While evidence from developed countries suggests that communities may contribute to school effectiveness and efficiency, there is a need for more systematic reviews of such practice in developing countries to inform international policy. Research suggests that community participation through school councils could produce opposite outcomes: it can…

Over the last 10 to 15 years, a variety of efforts to transform American high schools have gained both public and private support. Significant among these are initiatives to implement Small Learning Communities (SLCs), part of a larger school reform and restructuring effort designed to address a variety of goals, including "downsizing large…

This study investigated school administrators' perceptions of school improvement policies in a high-impact policy environment by measuring the impact of accountability, site-based management, professional development, and scheduling reform on the three dependent variables of a) academic outcomes, b) staff morale, and c) parent and community…

Purpose. The purpose of this study was to determine the relationships between Sedlacek's (2004b) student noncognitive variables (positive self-concept, realistic self-appraisal, successfully handling the system, preference for long-term goals, leadership experience, presence of a strong support person, community service, and knowledge of the…

The short existence of Early College High Schools has not allowed for considerable research to assess their operational effectiveness. Furthermore, the effectiveness perceptions and reactions of students enrolled at these schools have not been given ample opportunity to be studied--an integral component of any school's operation. The purpose of…

Bound to the notion of teenage apathy is the concern that young people are increasingly disengaged from political and community issues and lacking in social capital. Voting is often regarded as the ultimate form of civic engagement, which implicitly excludes young teenagers from consideration through their status as non-voters. Teenagers'…

This article describes how students in rural parts of West Virginia spend up to four hours a day riding buses to far-flung schools, built as part of the state's consolidation drive. As a result, rural communities in West Virginia have fought back by filing lawsuits, electing their allies to school boards, and defeating pro-consolidation bond…

Historically, the consolidation of school districts has brought with it many promises and perils. In this paper, the author links curriculum and community involvement within the consolidation context.

In 1992-93 the United Way was managing the participation of community-based organizations in the New York City Board of Education's dropout prevention effort. The Teachers College of Columbia University was asked to undertake an evaluation of this program, the Community Achievement Project in the Schools (CAPS). A follow-up to the original…

The influence of the private sector on education has been and continues to be significant. The use of scientific management in education, which led to standardized testing, accountability, and educational administration, came from the private sector. In recent times, many businesses have formed charitable and professional support partnerships with…