In a Florida county school system the combination of three afterschool homework assistance programs has increased students' responsibility for assignments. Students question teachers through telephone assistance. Students and parents talk with volunteer teachers in school libraries. A cooperative-use agreement with the educational channel brings…

Describes Albany (California) High School's welcoming approach to student teachers, invaluable for freeing up time for veteran teachers. Students gain because this school recruits the best interns. Interns benefit from warm faculty acceptance and exposure to both instructional and noninstructional responsibilities. Offers tips for creating…

To ensure full participation in establishing school system goals, the Iowa City (Iowa) schools initiated a priority-setting exercise in which all 600 professional employees (and community members) participate. The process involves gathering ideas and status reports, holding workshops, making progress reports, presenting new priorities to staff,…

According to a personnel director, principals should be able to specify the critical knowledge, skills, and attitudes they require of prospective teacher candidates. Personnel officials should be able to identify candidates who meet those criteria. (MLF)

After South Lyon Community Schools (Michigan) lost their first tax levy campaign, a committee formed to interview voters and devise a new plan discovered that voter priorities had been overlooked. The solution--enlisting community support and communicating the importance of voters' priorities. An inset provides specific campaign techniques. (MLH)

Union and school board representatives studied basic negotiating techniques at a five-day workshop. Improved relations and cooperation were the result. (MLF)

The author's advice on planning parent-teacher conferences to improve parent-school relations includes helping teachers develop better interpersonal skills, making sure parents know about the event in advance, scheduling with parents in mind, and taking extra care to make the school clean and attractive. (JBM)

Describes Cotati-Rohnert Park (California) Unified School District's establishment of formal alliances with three important groups: parents, college and university officials, and community and business leaders. Advises superintendents how to initiate joint efforts that can produce increased volunteer help, a political base of support, and a…

Suburban high school administrators should attempt to open lines of communication and cooperation between their schools and inner-city high schools. The quality of inner-city high schools has deteriorated in recent decades due to a variety of reasons; however, this does not mean that they should be ignored. There is still much that is worthwhile…

Administrator education programs are charged with being outdated and deficient. A coalition of 10 major education organizations plans to establish a national certification examination by 1993 to identify top-quality school executives. Internship programs and working with local schools are strategies proposed to bridge the gap between theory and…

School-linked agency collaborations are changing the way communities deliver human services to needy children and their families. Describes and cites examples of community-based and school-based delivery systems. Lists resources on unified services for children. (MLF)

Describes a wide variety of activities supported by a Connecticut grade school (four to six) parent-teacher organization, including afterschool minicourses, computer literacy assistance, school beautification, and an advanced reading program. (JBM)

Guidelines for building collaboration between education and social services are based on an Arizona superintendent's experiences in the establishment on school district grounds of a family assistance center staffed with 20 workers. (MLF)