Because service-learning challenges participants to widen perspectives on social issues, we designed and assessed a multi-semester, multidisciplinary project with both academic and service objectives. In this project, undergraduate students developed a script and video centered on a board game designed to educate high-school students about their…

This handbook is intended to help communities (particularly, but not exclusively, in Pennsylvania) develop adopt-a-school partnerships between local schools and businesses. Advantages of partnerships for both schools and their potential business partner are reviewed, and brief profiles of possible cooperative projects (many of which have already…

THE SCHOOL SYSTEM RECOGNIZED THAT CHILDREN OF LIMITED BACKGROUNDS COULD, AND SHOULD, BE HELPED. THE DISTRICT DECIDED TO USE FUNDS FROM GRANTS TO (1) PROVIDE ADDITIONAL CONSULTATIVE SERVICES AND TEACHER TRAINING, (2) PURCHASE EXTRA INSTRUCTIONAL EQUIPMENT AND MATERIALS, (3) FACILITATE CURRICULUM EXPERIMENTATION, AND (4) ARRANGE OPPORTUNITIES FOR…

THE AIMS OF THIS EVALUATION OF THE USE OF NONPROFESSIONALS IN COMMUNITY ACTION PROGRAMS WHICH WAS PREPARED FOR THE OFFICE OF ECONOMIC OPPORTUNITY ARE--(1) TO PROVIDE A DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE ADMINISTRATION OF THE PROGRAMS, (2) TO ASSESS THE VALIDITY OF THE BASIC PREMISES OF A NONPROFESSIONAL PROGRAM, AND (3) TO IDENTIFY THE SUCCESSFUL AND…

The data provided in the second volume of this two-volume report are interpreted within the context of the social and economic problems identified in the first volume. With its lack of diversified industry, Johnstown, Pennsylvania was found to have the revenue problems typical of a depressed economy, accentuated by a decline in markets for its…

Factors that have contributed to the sluggish evolution of an adequate planning methodology in environmental health programs at the local level are detailed. Areas of environmental health programs identified by the author as needing change include: management, the administrative model, program evaluation, and community participation. (BT)

Since the state takeover, the Philadelphia school district has created a new governance model, in which for-profits, non-profits, and universities receive contracts to manage schools. Further, these and other organizations also receive contracts to provide a range of additional services. The shift to a public/private institutional structure,…

Study results on the feasibility of and methods for providing non-traditional, postsecondary educational opportunities for the Fayette, Greene, and Washington counties area of Pennsylvania comprise this report. Summaries of the operations of the John Wood Community College in Illinois, the Hudson Community College Commission in New Jersey, and the…

The Parkway Program was designed to investigate the possibility that a high school could be organized independently of any fixed institutional facilities, whether these be a school building or a fixed faculty. One hundred and forty-three Philadelphia High School students were selected at random from among applicants representing all eight…

The current study replicates work of Regional Educational Laboratory (REL) Northeast and Islands. It describes dropout prevention programs in nine Mid-Atlantic Region (Delaware, the District of Columbia, Maryland, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania) school districts serving communities with populations of 24,742-107,250 (as of July 2008). All nine…

In the U.S., only 38 of every 100 ninth graders enroll in college; of these 38, only 18 complete bachelors' degrees within six years. Asynchronous learning networks (ALN)--asynchronous, highly interactive, instructor-led, resource-rich, cohort-based learning--can yield high success rates. Growing demand for online education and the expectation…

This handbook provides ideas for Pennsylvania school districts attempting to get parents more involved in school programs. There are five sections. The first describes the importance of parent involvement and defines such involvement as "meaningful partnerships between parents and school which demonstrate commitment to improving student…

The main purpose of the study was to determine selected aspects of the small business food service operators' perceptions regarding the need for training adult food service workers in the Altonna area of Pennsylvania. Information was gathered to help determine the operators' perceptions of the type of training, training site, and their commitment…

Though most interactions between parents and school personnel about students with disabilities are positive and productive, disagreements can arise. Disputes may range in intensity from minor miscommunications to significant conflicts that trigger the use of procedural safeguards available under federal law. The Individuals with Disabilities…

This article describes the Applied Engineering Technology (AET) Career and Educational Pathways Program, which helps local manufacturers find quality workers. The program features 32 high schools, three community colleges, and 10 four-year institutions offering an integrated regional system of applied engineering education. The goal is to enroll…