A collaborative approach brought together 31 new administrators from a 3-county region in Illinois and Missouri for a university-based staff development program. Nine monthly sessions were held with themes that included problem solving, grant writing, staff development, and school improvement. Summarizes participants' evaluation of the program…

Explores how schools and community agencies collaborate to meet needs of at-risk youth, focusing on four youth services teams located in two rural Oregon counties. Challenges included loose structure, lack of defined objectives, lack of common understanding of related roles and responsibilities, school leadership burden, time management, need for…

In 1993, the teachers in Virginia Beach City (Virginia) Public Schools surveyed parents' views concerning classroom practices as part of a client satisfaction project. Intended to increase parent involvement, gauge customer satisfaction, and guarantee continuous improvement, the survey found that comments about teacher efforts were overwhelmingly…

Describes reasons for minority achievement gap; suggests ways for school and community members to adopt routines to alleviate the gap; discusses use of transition clusters to achieve transitions to new routines; reviews research on conditions that promote engagement; suggests topics and methods for additional relevant research. (PKP)

Reviews the progress of 62 state-funded service-learning programs in Pennsylvania schools during 1992-95. Each site completed an extensive annual program profile, tracked student service and hours, and was visited by an evaluation team member who observed actual implementation. Success depends on organizational commitment, service-learning…

School districts across New York State have implemented numerous innovative cost-saving measures in the 1990s, according to February 1993 New York State School Boards Association survey of 722 school superintendents. Districts achieved substantial savings in financial management, plant management, personnel management, and school support services…

Discusses the results of a three-year collaborative research project documenting the effectiveness of the school reform process. The study describes efforts of the Consortium for the Advancement of Public Education in Southeast North Carolina (CAPE) to support schools as they change. Areas showing the most improvement included participative…

Despite the importance of school libraries' and media centers' role in applying new technologies and developing innovative teaching methods, the 1990-91 Schools and Staffing Survey data show a mixed picture of these facilities' staff resources. Libraries are in most U.S. public and private schools, but are understaffed, particularly in smaller…

Describes an enrollment-forecasting process in which technical experts and local community stakeholders worked together to produce cost-effective, yet fairly accurate data. The large Oregon district employing the process gained insights to guide its attendance-zone and facilities-planning decisions and to garner community support. (MLH)

Participants in Oakland University's collaborative action-research course between 1994 and 1997 were asked to evaluate the program. Most said the program positively influenced classroom practice at participating schools in the Bloomfield Hills School District, received needed administrative support, and had considerable motivational and…

The goal of Chattanooga's Family Resource Center is to support and strengthen families in ways that enhance their growth and well-being. Through collaboration with other service agencies, the center establishes services and programs geared toward adult literacy, parenting education, cultural awareness, community involvement, and information and…

Innovative school-age day care programs include Tennessee's Extended School Program; Hawaii's After-School Plus program; San Antonio's Kid's Involvement Network (offering middle school supervision); Aurora, Colorado's state-licensed Year-Round School Recreation Plan; and Pomona, California's Child Development Program. These public school programs…

Describes a Learning Development Model developed by a Michigan school working to foster an evolving process of staff collaboration and curriculum integration. Supportive professional-development activities include staff-planned and -facilitated workshops, staff writing and sharing of learning activities, and local university partnerships requiring…

The University of Alabama College of Education began employing teachers full time as university faculty in 1985. The program provides undergraduate students with a master classroom practitioner and employs experienced adjunct staff (Teachers in Residence) who sensitize faculty to classroom issues and problems. The program enhances teacher growth.…