In these stressful times, many Parent Teacher Association (PTA) leaders are finding membership recruitment and retention to be particularly challenging. The Black Star Community PTA in Chicago has found some unique methods of getting their community to support students and families, and join PTA. The basis for their efforts is in recognizing the…

Communities of practice (COPs) are groups of people who share a concern or a passion for something they do and learn how to do it better through interacting with one another (Wenger 1998). Communities of practice have enormous potential to support and sustain quality care and education within a community and, in fact, are doing so. Businesses and…

The new Illinois Du Page Area Vocational Education Authority Center focuses on employability. Unique features are the learning delivery plans and the student-public educating techniques involving the community market service center. (EA)

Two small school districts (one K-12, the other 9-12) reorganized their high school programs so they operate as a single entity and without closing either site. One site serves as an English and humanities center, the other as a mathematics and science center. Collaboration has improved the academic program and cut expenses. (MLF)

The status of day care in Illinois is described in the presentations and workshop summaries of this conference. The state day care budget was close to $50 million for fiscal 1972, almost triple the previous year's amount. Illinois has day care programs for mentally handicapped children, children from low income families, the normal child, and so…

As a result of federal law Public Law 99-457, Illinois has the opportunity to provide early intervention for at-risk children up to 3 years of age. These children have developmental delays, such as cerebral palsy, or are cocaine or alcohol babies. The legislative history and current status of Public Law 99-457 as it relates to the planning of…

In order to better serve Illinois individuals and schools, human service organizations must pursue collaboration among and within state agencies, community organizations and resources, and families. Families have the primary responsibility for raising their children, but economic and social factors make it increasingly harder for families to do…

This resource manual describes a model for planning and developing comprehensive career placement services integrated into the total career development efforts of secondary and postsecondary schools in Illinois. The manual is designed to be used by educational administrators at the local and regional level in developing specific program goals,…