Many small, inland, and remote Australian rural communities continue to lose population and businesses, a trend that has intensified over the last 2 decades. Mean age continues to rise, while the 15-24 age group contracts dramatically. Such declining demographics are caused by the stress and uncertainty of volatile world commodity markets, as well…

AEL works with state educational entities to help schools become higher-performing learning communities. AEL's current partnership with Lincoln County (West Virginia) began about 6 months after the state board of education assumed administrative control of the county school system, citing major deficiencies in the system. AEL provided facilitative…

The shift from institutional to community-based care for the mentally ill failed because communities were not prepared to undertake this responsibility. Suggestions for more humane care are given. (IS)

This article focuses on the use of compulsory busing to achieve school integration. The effects of busing on Black self-concept, academic achievement, student teacher relationships, resegregation of Black students by tracking in integrated schools, and community attitudes are examined. (Author/MC)

Examined the academic success of children from farm and non-farm families in the rural midwest United States, with a focus on community integration as an important factor for academic achievement. Found that children from farm families showed the highest levels of academic performance, owing largely to the high levels of parental involvement and…

Twelve community telephone surveys administered to the residents of 34 Connecticut towns measured their knowledge, attitudes, and use related to public library services. Results suggested needed improvements in collection development, the importance of location, and residents' willingness to pay more per year for library services. (SLW)

Summarizes the history of education in a rural, primarily African-American town in North Carolina as one of denial used as a coping mechanism for disappointment. Denial of real problems by blacks and whites has contributed to the town's weakened sense of community and its lack of a local school. (SLD)

Explains how land conditions and local land ownership patterns have contributed to the educational change that left a rural, primarily African-American town in North Carolina without its own school. The town's history, largely interpreted by one elderly African-American man, shows how economic structures have evolved over the past century. (SLD)

This paper explores the relationship between community stability and school conflict in a small rural Texas school district. Data included school district records; newspaper archives; and interviews with school district officials, community members, and officials of the League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC). Texas County (a pseudonym)…

The need for continuing education about human immunodeficiency virus/acquired immune deficiency syndrome (HIV/AIDS) was assessed for health care workers in metropolitan South Australia. Seventeen focus group discussions were held to solicit the views and experiences of various persons regarding HIV/AIDS tertiary education. Included in the…

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…

This booklet tells the story of citizen organization and role in the school reform movement in the restructuring of the Chicago (Illinois) Public Schools. Chapter 1, "People Were 'Mad As Hell,'" relates the events immediately surrounding the Chicago Teachers Union strike that transformed discontent into community action. Chapter 2,…

An exploratory study designed to analyze the evolution of neighborhood movements in Rio de Janeiro City (Brazil) focuses on actions related to the struggle for public schools. The effort seeks to determine the degree of political autonomy of the neighborhood associations and the nature of the educational demands and their relationship with the…

Relations between schools and the adults within their surrounding communities are often problematic in inner city, low socioeconomic status neighborhoods. This paper analyzes features of the intersubjective structure of a group of working-class residents who took over and illegally ran their secondary school in Liverpool (England) for the 1982/83…

The focus of this study is the impact of urban activities (such as industry) and local governments on agriculture and the impact of agriculture on localities. This report is based on a qualitative study of an agricultural county, and interviews with community and county officials and farmers. The perceptions and opinions of officials are compared…