Proceedings of a regional Parent Involvement Network teleconference in which nine citites in the Southwest Educational Development Laboratory's (SEDL) five-state region (Texas, Louisiana, Arkansas, New Mexico, and Oklahoma) plus Lincoln, Nebraska, participated are highlighted in this summary report. Participants from each state reported on…

Consolidation has become both a solution for small, rural school districts and a contentious policy fraught with numerous difficulties. Despite concerns about limited curricula and higher operating expenses, there is no generalizable evidence that students educated in rural settings underachieve or have deficient social skills. Recent research has…

The role of state and local policymakers in creating an environment conducive to cooperation between schools and human services agencies is discussed in this educational policy bulletin. To ensure effective service delivery programs and enabling policies, policymakers must consider: (1) the qualities of collaborative service delivery programs,…

The expanded role of schools in integrating various service providers to address the needs of at-risk students and their families is discussed in this educational policy bulletin. The debate about the extent and means of the broadening school scope is reviewed and the types of school-linked service delivery programs are outlined. Characteristics…

Some of the essential elements of educational partnerships and what it takes for these associations to succeed are presented. The brief opens by describing the growing trend of companies working in partnership with one another to improve education by sharing expertise, leveraging limited resources, broadening markets, and tackling complex issues.…

This double-number newsletter issue makes the case for collaborations between families, schools, and communities as a stronger force for educating and enriching the lives of our children. It also highlights places where such partnerships are working. The newsletter includes the following articles (1) "Family Support and School-Linked…

In these times of shrinking budgets, scarce economic resources, intensifying criticism of the results of public schools, and increased demands on schools to provide more than traditional education, educational partnerships can serve as major resources to schools. The objectives of this sourcebook are to provide examples of the multitude of…

The Commission on Preservation and Access was established to foster and support collaboration among libraries and allied organizations in order to ensure the preservation of the published and documentary records in all formats and to provide enhanced access to scholarly information. The Commission's newsletter keeps preservation and access…

The "information revolution" has brought in its wake a reassessment of the role and function of the traditional school library. The possibilities opened up by the new technologies have combined with new approaches to teaching and learning so that the library is no longer a mere repository of books to be visited when classes are over;…

This annual report from the Colorado State Library describes highlights of developments that took place in the past year. Discussion includes Library Services and Technology Act (LSTA) administration; school library media development; programs to promote library literacy and diversity; the State Publications Library; StateLINC distribution program…

Truancy is a major problem in the United States that can have negative effects on the futures of young people. Truancy may lead to dropping out of school; may be a precursor to delinquent and criminal activity; and places students at higher risk of being drawn into behaviors involving drugs, alcohol, or violence. Furthermore, truancy has high…

One response to the shrinking budgets and increased demand for services that have become a way of life in higher education is the creation of partnerships with public and private agencies to share resources and costs. There is virtually an unlimited number of possible partnership arrangements. Off-campus training and degree programs represent one…

Technological advances have equipped educational institutions with the capability to take classes to the student. Higher education institutions throughout the South are upgrading existing wide-area networks connecting buildings and campuses to create statewide "backbones" that will serve primary and secondary schools, libraries, offices,…

This booklet examines the partnerships that two British further education (FE) colleges have formed with private-sector firms since the incorporation of FE colleges in April 1993. Described first is the partnership arrangement between Guildford College and a private-sector catering firm that began with sharing of the costs of renovating and…

This document consists of the first four volumes of the annual serial publication "Perspectives: A Journal of Research and Opinion about Educational Service Agencies." Educational service agencies (ESAs) have various names and characteristics across states, but all provide services to local education agencies in a specific geographic region. ESAs…