The purpose of this practical guide is to increase the awareness of both educators who are responsible for building school partnerships and corporate leaders as to how school partnerships can contribute to education. Kinds of school/business partnerships are discussed, and the services provided by partners are listed. These steps in establishing…

This toolkit helps community-based organizations create a community guide to the school budget, demystifying school finance for citizens and engaging them in the process of using the school budget as a tool for school improvement. It explains the major steps organizations have used in their own initiatives, offering advice and examples of tools.…

This booklet outlines a process for engaging all educational stakeholders in the planning of schools which more adequately address the needs of the whole learning community. It explores six design principles for creating effective learning environments; provides examples of innovative school designs that illustrate various aspects of the six…

This booklet depicts the thinking of state-level and local-level advocates and policymakers regarding the complementary nature of service learning and school-to-work and explains the benefits of linking the two strategies through partnerships. The similarities and differences between service learning and school-to-work are presented along with…

Playground safety in Australia has evolved from being an issue for parents, teachers, city engineers, and other generalists to an issue for specialists. This paper takes the position that the general community must become involved in playground planning, renovation, and maintenance. After presenting statistics on playground settings and playground…

This publication focuses on the youth-at-risk problems of young people who are not successfully making the transition to adulthood in Oregon. It provides information needed by the state's educational, government, and religious leaders, as well as parents, employers, and youth. In 26 tables and graphs, the report provides information on population,…

Nine essays, originally presented at an interdisciplinary conference sponsored by the University of Chicago, address problems of the changing inner cities of older, industrial metropolitan areas. An introduction reviews important theories of urban development, and the impact of changing technology and racial composition. Part one includes an essay…

This bulletin describes the growing Adopt-a-School Movement, a grass-roots initiative by the public schools' external constituencies to assist financially and materially either an individual school or an entire school system to design educationally enriching programs. Examples are given of banks, major corporations, local businesses, foundations,…

Designed to assist organizations preparing to celebrate the Bicentennial of the U.S. Constitution through community and school events, this guide provides educational ideas that can be useful in directing the public's attention to the Constitution and the values it represents. Information is included on selecting forum formats, such as mock…

A compact is a commitment to sharing responsibility for student learning and an action plan for a family-school-community partnership to help children get a high-quality education. All across America parents, teachers, and community and business leaders are creating such compacts to build and strengthen partnerships for improved student learning.…

This guide presents a five-step approach to planning, conducting, and evaluating a community-school health advisory council. The five steps are: (1) convening an advisory council (learning about community-school health advisory councils, obtaining support from the school district, identifying potential members, organizing and conducting the first…

This tool is intended to work in conjunction with Kentucky?s Standards and Indicators for School Improvement. Together, these two documents allow schools to identify opportunities for improvement and provide guidance for maximizing those opportunities through planning and the development of the comprehensive school improvement plan. Includes…

The preparation of a report, slide show, and brochure to promote awareness of the hazards of toxic pest control for school pest management personnel in the San Diego Unified School District is discussed. The future plans of the coalition are proposed. (CW)

A 2-year involvement to change the pesticide policy of the Oak Park, Illinois, schools is described. The new policy is discussed. (CW)

Funding for youth employment and training has been scaled back during the past few decades. In addition, funding for workforce development services is spread among multiple programs and agencies, resulting in a fragmented funding environment. To address this issue, the youth provisions of the Workforce Investment Act (WIA) aimed to move this…