Dr. Richard Sagor is the Educational Leadership Program Director and a professor in the Department of Education at Lewis & Clark College in Portland, Oregon. Dr. Howard Tinberg is a professor of English at Bristol Community College in Fall River, Massachusetts, where he is also director of the Writing Lab. He is the editor of the journal…

A survey of absentee voting in the Highline (Washington) School District revealed that mailed-in ballots have no better than--and often less than--a 50-50 chance of favoring school finance issues. School officials should reconsider encouraging the growth of voting by mail. (IW)

This document describes a community resource plan developed for rural special educators at a small elementary school near Salem, Oregon. The plan was designed for the specific needs of rural special educators, who generally have greater need for materials, personnel support, and financing than their urban counterparts. The resource plan includes:…

The authors argue for the involvement of science undergraduates in K-12 outreach to enhance their communication skills, generate enthusiasm for science in today's youth, and extend relationships between institutions of higher learning and surrounding communities. Here we present three opportunities created at Oregon State University for engaging…

Award-winning teachers from rural Oregon, Alaska, and Idaho discuss their innovative programs and the advantages of small-town life and small schools. Teachers, students, and community members know each other and participate in school activities, teachers have more flexibility and control over what they teach, bureaucracy is minimized, and…

This article features an interview of Duncan Campbell. He was raised in an impoverished urban environment and went on to become a lawyer and successful Portland, Oregon, businessman. He founded Friends of the Children, a faith-based program, to provide permanent paid mentors for the most disadvantaged children in a community. Unlike more casual…

In this article, the author discusses Portland Community College's Illumination Project, a yearlong academic theater program that tackles issues of oppression through interactive classroom and community performances. Participants write original interactive plays depicting incidents of oppression in students' lives. The project is a central aspect…

Discusses the importance of Head Start programs understanding the changing profile of today's family and meeting the subsequent demands for more services. Points out that Head Start agencies around the country have already formed partnerships to deal with diverse issues such as child abuse, incarcerated parents, and preventive mental health.…

Describes experiences of an alliance of child and youth treatment agencies whose members converted to computer-based networking modalities. A developmental analysis of individual users and telecommunications networks is offered. Side effects, barriers, and unexpected advantages are delineated. (BB)

Examines the choices facing Oregon's community colleges in light of approaching educational retrenchment. Proposes that through reaching the non-traditional student, the dream of an "educated nation" can be achieved. Advocates the creation of new definitions for students, learning, teaching, and education. Supports locally governed…

States are in the leadership position to effect pervasive and comprehensive changes needed in the educational system. There exist five key dimensions for analyzing initiatives resulting in systemic changes: (1) infusiveness, building upon existing knowledge; (2) pervasiveness, effecting improvements in all key components of the system, including…

A principal recounts her year-long journey to pull a southern Oregon school community together. She used two problem- solving strategies (Situation-Target-Plan and force-field analysis) to alter cultural norms, guide the community through planned change, and integrate staff development, organization development, and action research. (MLH)

This address by the Oregon State Superintendent of Public Instruction presents proposals for achieving educational excellence. The introduction to the plan briefly discusses the state of school finance, the upcoming property tax relief vote, and the interest indicated in national reports for accelerating school improvement. The eight proposals…

School-based early childhood centers are high-quality programs using approaches to instruction based on recognized principles of child development and learning for children 3 to 8 years old. The centers are characterized by the active involvement of parents and the community and by a commitment to smooth transitions from home to school and through…

This report outlines recent efforts and offers specific policy recommendations to improve transfer and articulation policies within the Oregon State university system. After taking note of the growing scope and complexity of transfer and articulation throughout the nation, and in Oregon in particular, it discusses the effects of distance…