If schools are to succeed, children must be provided with more support than a school can accomplish alone (Barbour et al., 2001). The need to involve community in the educational process to offer services that make students successful and to have these services within the school building are all critical aspects of the community school model…

The prevalence and social acceptance of childlessness have increased in recent decades. Still, little is known about how this social acceptance is shaped, the extent to which approval of childlessness differs across Europe, and what factors cause potential cross-national variation. The authors used data from the European Social Survey 2006 (N =…

Part of on-going curriculum evaluation program in Enfield, Connecticut. Results of survey indicate strong family support for school program plus request for similar programs geared for parents and community. (CJ)

Specialist schools in Western Australia are central schools having a special emphasis in their curriculum (such as music or mathematics) but also offering the regular range of secondary school courses. They provide specialization for selected students of particular talent or skill. This study investigated the background and current nature of…

A concerns analysis is a method of data collection for program improvement budget requests. It is also a public relations tool, opening lines of communication between the school and the community. Data sources for this analysis include employer, parent, and student surveys and the community forum. (SK)

This survey of public opinion about Chicago Public Schools charts responses in the following areas: (1) general evaluation of the public schools; (2) grading the staff; (3) the biggest problems facing Chicago schools; (4) a range of proposed reforms; and (5) finances. Characteristics of the respondents and public school parents also are plotted.…

One objective of this study was to discover whether education of students on the 45-15 plan differed from that provided on the traditional schedule. Another objective was to assess the attitudes of the educators, parents, students, and business people of Prince William County toward the two plans. The educational evaluation compared, across…

This study compares the expectations of educators, parents, and business leaders regarding computer uses in education with their conceptions of what is actually being done. Respondents saw microcomputer use for recordkeeping, determining instructional needs, and instruction as important potential uses but felt that more should be done. (MBR)

Explains how a survey of staff, students, parents, and community members was used to develop an equitable and effective high school dress and behavior code. Describes the sanctions established for violations and a mandatory after-school instructional program for students suspended from regular classes. (Author/PGD)

This study presents both demographic data and superintendents' reports of the processes and consequences of school desegregation for a nationally representative body of 1,292 school districts. The major analytic variable of the study is the nature and timing of steps to desegregate. The major conclusion that emerges is that desegregation actions…

Utilizing a grant from the Office of Economic Opportunity, the Rochester Schools Alternative Study has been established to study the possibilities of developing an education system which would: (1) include a variety of learning programs based partially on the best aspects of those previously tried and (2) provide parents and teachers a choice in…

Family community aides were used in disadvantaged East Saint Louis, Illinois, schools in an effort to bridge the communication gap between the school and the home. The indigenous nonprofessional aides received 16 weeks of training to perform auxiliary noninstructional service and to act as liaison personnel between school and community. These…

The voucher plan--a proposal to give parents the right and the financial means in the form of a voucher to send their child to the public, private, or parochial school of their choice--was developed as a "model" and, necessarily, without great sensitivity to differences among local school districts. The San Francisco Unified School…

In February 1971, the Seattle School District received funds to conduct a study of the feasibility of implementing the education voucher plan in Seattle. The study was divided into two preliminary phases. Phase 1 conducted over a 4-month period, consisted of an investigation of the areas of the city where the plan could best be tested, an analysis…

Findings from this Fordham-sponsored survey--the fourth survey of Dayton, Ohio parent/community attitudes toward education since 1988--present a fascinating array of opinions about today's schools (and those who are responsible for them) and the changes that could be made tomorrow. Over 70 percent of Dayton-area parents support the idea of…