Reviews parent-community-school relationships in eight schools participating in the Elementary School Recognition Program of the United States Department of Education in 1985-86. Includes excerpts from parent interviews. The schools exhibited commonalities such as capturing the interests of parents, establishing shared responsibility, and making…

Ten steps are described for planning and development of magnet schools: identifying needs; establishing desegregation and education objectives; developing district program strategy; selecting leaders; identifying and allocating resources; designing individual magnet schools; developing curriculum around magnet theme; publicizing the program and…

The purpose of this guide is to inform parents, advocates, and school personnel about existing laws and resources available to ensure that every child and every school employee has an environmentally safe and healthy school that is clean and in good repair. An environmentally safe and healthy school is one of the principles adopted by the New York…

Discusses the myriad of challenges facing urban schools and the problems their districts must struggle through in finding solutions. The severity of these problems, such as additional facility demand, school deterioration, increasing rates of school takeovers, and tight budgets are described. (GR)

Presents solutions to architectural challenges in school interior design; these solutions made the indoor environments more conducive and attractive for learning. Addresses four challenges: making a long corridor look less like a tunnel; maintaining tradition and minimizing cost in a new athletic facility; designing a kindergarten that is secure…

Examines renovation efforts involving an old urban, magnet high school (North Fort Myers, Florida) that transformed it into an up-to-date school facility without interfering with the school's operation. Discusses design and planning strategies, materials used, and the environmental concerns that needed to be addressed. (GR)

Examines the design of a new library/art facility at a San Francisco high school that complemented the school's contemporary academic program and reputation for excellence. Discusses the planning and architectural strategies and the technological and convenience additions designed to meet greater student needs. (GR)

Describes the use of a variety of strategies to teach estimation and other mathematics concepts in an inclusive urban fifth-grade classroom. The collaborative program (involving the teacher, the mathematics consultant, and the special-education consultant) utilized cooperative learning, estimation techniques, calculators, graphic organizers, links…

Presents brief site-visit reports of three Paris (France) public schools to study the planning and use of each school's library. Observations from an elementary, middle, and high school include the overall library design, book classification and access systems, technology use, budgeting, and librarian role. (GR)

This information packet for those interested in promoting parent and family involvement in their children's schools opens with "A Quick Overview of Some Basic Resources." This section contains lists of 28 selected references, some research syntheses available from the Educational Resources Information Center (ERIC), and 10 Internet resources…

Provides an in-depth discussion of issue of gang violence and effects on schools. In past two decades street gangs have become a problem, not just in large urban centers, but also in smaller urban areas and suburbs. Outlines seven ways to work at preventing gang activities in schools. Urges school boards to play greater role in fighting gang…

This parent guide gives a general overview of student voucher programs. It explains the difference between vouchers and other school choice plans, such as charter schools and inter-district choice. It provides a summary of the research on the impact of vouchers on student academic outcomes and on public school performance. It describes how several…

School Communities that Work: A National Task Force on the Future of Urban Districts has been working since 2000 to develop a new conception for a high-performing community of schools that ensures both results and equity for all children. The vision for what such a community might look like uses the terms "local education support system" and…

This brochure discusses the importance of keeping students from regressing during the summer months, explaining that most children forget important skills and knowledge that they do not use over the summer, and teachers often spend 4-8 weeks at the beginning of the school year re-teaching material from the previous year. How students spend their…

This manual provides background information about the Senior Citizen School Volunteer Program (SCSVP) and describes the program model that has been developed and implemented by the staff of Generations Together in more than 75 schools. The SCSVP develops intergenerational programs by involving older people as volunteers in elementary and secondary…