Summarizes major opinion differences between the general public and professional educators uncovered in the April 1987 "Phi Delta Kappan" Gallup Poll. Educators differed regarding biggest problems; improvement progress; community school ratings; the voucher system; organized prayer; parental choice of curricular materials; physical…

This report presents 1981-82 evaluation results for the Special Program Schools Scheme (SPSS), a federally funded program for disadvantaged government schools in Queensland, Australia. The report provides both descriptive and evaluative information to the SPSS Advisory Committee to facilitate decisions for program improvement. Chapter 1 discusses…

This report of a New York City Technical College (NYCTC) task force focuses on a diminished sense of campus and institutional community. Three committees were formed to explore the problem. The committees' findings are reported in an early section. The Research Committee found a lack of studies on college community and recommended some models for…

During the summer of 1983, a team from Mankato State University, Minnesota, surveyed 65 community residents, 85 school staff and board members, and 337 grade 6-12 students to measure attitudes toward the effectiveness of the pairing of the Russell and Tyler (Minnesota) school districts which occurred at the beginning of the 1981-82 school year.…

This report describes the attitudes of parents, the general public, school principals, and teachers across Kentucky about the implementation of school reforms based on the Kentucky Education Reform Act of 1990 (KERA). Data were gathered from random telephone surveys in the eight geographic regions of the state for each targeted audience based on…

A 3-year study of decentralization of Alaska schools identified several factors that influenced whether a school was locally controlled and found patterns of control associated in important ways with staff and community attitudes toward school. Information was gathered by surveys and interviews conducted in 28 communities randomly selected to…

This study sought to determine characteristics of schools and districts that enjoy the public's strong confidence and to explore how these characteristics are created and retained. A screening procedure produced useable data from 181 "high-confidence" public schools, 30 private schools, and 45 school districts. As part of a preliminary…

Sage Institute of Canada, Inc. measured the priorities for improving education that are held by professional staff, the boards, and the public in the Alberta counties of Newell, Vulcan, and Warner. Over 1,800 people participated in identifying issues, conditions, and suggestions for improvement. They then assisted in validating the information and…

Rural school districts in five Arkansas towns set up school-based development corporations (SBDCs) to provide vocational and career training relevant to the needs of rural high school students and the community and to improve the economic and social welfare of the community as a whole. Each SBDC owned and operated businesses using student labor…

The MLA (Member of Legislative Assembly) Committee on Lifelong Learning held consultations at more than 14 rural and urban locations throughout Alberta to gather stakeholders' and community members' views on the need for lifelong learning and ways of promoting it. Participants were asked to identify strategies to encourage and enable adults to…