This document is comprised of the four 2003 issues of a publication providing a forum for scholarly reviews and discussion of developmental research and implications for social policies affecting children. Each issue focuses on a single topic as follows: (1)"Do You Believe in Magic?: What We Can Expect from Early Childhood Intervention Programs"…

This paper explores a community project to develop "storysacks" within an area of identified economic and social need. (Storysacks are books sent home for preschool children in England to share with their parents on a regular basis; each sack contains a fiction book, a nonfiction book linked to the story, and a wide variety of props…

This book examines the lives and work of women who forged a distinctive tradition of social education from the late 19th century to the late 20th century, one that offered an alternative set of ideas about its means and ends to those propounded by mainstream educational theorists. In the book, the term "social education" is used to…

The Eisenhower National Clearinghouse for Mathematics and Science Education (ENC) helps teachers by offering a broad assortment of services to enable them to quickly locate educational resources. This theme issue of the serial "ENC Focus" is designed to give educators information on curriculum resources available for teaching math and science in…

This paper examines an ongoing community debate over a proposed FedEx distribution hub to be constructed at the local airport. The essay looks to theorists, including Patsy Healey, Richard Johannesen, Daniel Kemmis, James Klumpp, and Martha Nussbaum. These theorists provide a way to view the role of consensus, power, and norms of communication…

This report describes the 1999-2000 work of the Omaha Public School Tutoring Program, one recipient of a Mid-continent Research for Education and Learning (McREL) grant to support the Department of Education's America Reads Challenge Initiative. McREL was charged with issuing and monitoring four subcontracts with tutoring partnerships to provide…

Educators and community members talk increasingly of school-community partnerships but have different purposes and arrangements in mind. Educators tend to think of communities in terms of resources for schools, whereas community members tend to see partnerships also as means of influencing their children's education and benefiting the community.…

Families and communities can be valuable allies for professional educators and policymakers working to ensure high levels of student achievement. This publication emphasizes the use of technology to develop sustainable approaches and strategies that fit into a coordinated, comprehensive, and coherent family and community engagement program. It…

The issue of quality in substance abuse treatment is often complicated due to persistent discrimination against people with drug and alcohol disease. The result is a self-perpetuating cycle of poor outcomes and misperceptions about the disease. However, research shows that treatment for drug and alcohol conditions, when properly delivered, can…

Lack of education causes and is caused by poverty. In urban areas, it adds to the vulnerability of the poor, resulting in inaccessible schools and irrelevant curricula. Building urban communities and harnessing social capital can create an environment where the poor will have greater opportunities for making decisions that influence their lives.…

The "Goldfinch" is a magazine that introduces young children to different aspects of Iowa history. Each issue contains articles to provide in-depth knowledge of a topic about Iowa. The focus of this issue is "Iowa Festivals." Hard work, fun, and the opportunity to raise money for community projects are all a part of organizing…

This paper describes an approach to urban renewal, called the Multi-Function Polis (MFP), which emphasizes education as a key factor in a renewal process that includes development of 21st century industries such as information technology, telecommunications, and environmental management. Focusing on Adelaide, Australia, as an example, the paper…

Good basic education depends on several factors working in harmony. The first is that students be healthy, safe, and ready to learn. Other essentials include an enabling policy environment and transparent management; a curriculum that reflects the society's values and aspirations for learning; and community support for education and parents'…

Community involvement can do much to bring about confidence in the educational organization. Participation in decision-making is a vital component of the school district's operation as well as the school community relationship. (Author/GB)

Factors in the development of relevance in the industrial arts curriculum are greater student participation in educational planning, teachers assuming active roles in development of centers of interest, greater social interaction, increased community participation, and a curriculum that involves more real-life experiences. (MS)