This study examines parental participation in children's schooling. Using a survey of parents of children attending a majority Hispanic school district, we employ exploratory factor analysis and determine that standard forms of participation align along two dimensions: Involvement and Engagement. Analysis reveals a third dimension: Parental…

In this article, the first of a two-part presentation, the author advocates for healthy communities, families, and schools, as well as for changes in housing patterns. Part Two will appear in the October 2019 issue of the Record.

Massachusetts faces challenges in preparing all students for lifelong success, with substantial disparities in both opportunities and outcomes. For instance, on the 2017 National Assessment of Educational Progress, less than 30 percent of black and Latino fourth graders in Massachusetts demonstrated proficiency in reading, compared to 60 percent…

In this executive summary, the Rennie Center reexamines the current way of doing business, looking at how educators can incorporate student voice into decision-making processes in order to help all learners construct a pathway to success in college, careers, and life. Massachusetts faces challenges in preparing all students for lifelong success,…

Recent data suggest that the digital divide between White and minority youth persists, particularly in terms of home access to computers and the Internet. Community technology centers (CTCs) are an important alternative access point, especially for low-income youth of color. Such institutions, however, do much more, providing not just access, but…

This article reports on findings from a mixed-methods validation study of the "Online Survey of Students' Experiences of Learning in Learning Communities". In the quantitative part of the study, we found strong correlations among survey items related to faculty behaviors, student behaviors, and critical thinking. Factor analysis yielded…

To become full and active participants in today's technologically saturated society, young people need to become creators (and not just consumers) of interactive media. Developing the requisite abilities and capacities is not a wholly individual process; it is important for young people to have access to communities where they can collaborate and…

A history of Chelmsford, Massachusetts, from 1655 to 1970 is presented. Written as an historiography exercise by students at Chelmsford High School, the study is intended to acquaint residents and students of Chelmsford with the town's past and its relationship with surrounding communities and the United States. Chapter one, "A Colonial…

At their weekly school meeting, all members of a Massachusetts elementary school come together to build community and to celebrate one another. Each week, 20 to 40 parents show up, often with toddlers, sometimes with grandparents. Participants pledge the flag, sing songs, recognize students' birthdays, make announcements, and enjoy student…

This report presents the fourth study conducted by the Massachusetts Early Childhood Advisory Council since its inception in 1985, an investigation focusing on how interagency collaboration occurs in local early childhood programs in Massachusetts and whether mandating interagency councils is effective in promoting collaboration. The report also…

This speech begins with a discussion of broad social and political patterns and trends that are currently developing and continues to the specific unresolved social issues which will affect the nature and structure of educational systems. Those issues seen by the author is most likely to produce the greatest amount of activity are integration, the…