This survey of public secondary schools examined factors that affected the outcome (i.e., retention, restriction, or removal) of censorship challenges to library materials. Factors found to influence outcome included oral versus written challenges, materials selection policy use, school environment, community environment, and media specialist…

I examine the concept of the community field to identify the structures, elements, and processes that generate improved capacity for community action. I conduct analysis of interlocking leadership among local organizations and recent community action in three Midwestern communities to determine the structure and attributes of the community field.…

Many Americans do not have access to adequate medical care. Previous research on this problem focuses primarily on individual-level determinants of access such as income and insurance coverage. The role of community-level factors in helping or hindering individuals in obtaining needed medical care, however, has not received much attention. We…

Schools, families, communities, and students must come together and share in the responsibilities of implementing effective policies and programs that address the unique needs of rural youth. A recent survey of 152 rural school principals in a northwestern state examined how they defined at-risk and how they, in turn, identified at-risk students…

This paper recommends that rural education researchers adopt an ecological approach that acknowledges both family and community influences on child development and school outcomes. Although rural researchers have generated useful information about children, few studies have provided a full portrayal of rural children's lives. A fundamental…

The theoretical perspectives of school and family partnerships discussed in this report are based on the influences of families and schools on children's learning and development. A review of research deals with three topics: (1) the importance of family environments and involvement; (2) the influence of school environments on family involvement;…

Assessors of literature learning have long been concerned with the issue of difficulty and the fundamental contradictions in the term "examination of literary understanding." An alternate view of literature is that although texts are finally indeterminate, a group of them has been set aside by communities as forming a part of the…

Perceptions of the political behavior of superintendents in New Mexico vary widely throughout the state. Questionnaires and interviews were used to gather information from superintendents, school board chairmen, and state legislators concerning the frequency, extent, and kinds of political activity in which superintendents were involved. Four…

The Christian Brother organization, the largest order of teaching brothers in the Catholic Church, is currently facing a shrinking work force which is forcing the organization to rethink its current allocation of resources. Two surveys were administered to 163 brothers within the New Orleans/Santa Fe district; the response rate for the first…

North York defines Special Needs Schools as those in communities characterized by a higher than average percentage of: children under 15 years of age, one parent families, women in the labor force, people whose mother tongue is not English, multiple family housing, or family mobility. In 1983, the Special Needs Evaluation Subcommittee collected…

The existence of Federal laws and policies supportive of educational equity for women was challenged with the election of President Reagan in 1980. The Reagan Administration's philosophy of providing block grants to States threatened to eliminate the Women's Educational Equity Act (WEEA) and Title IV of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, both designed…

Recent research suggests that student behavior is influenced by many factors, and teacher responses to disorderly conduct must be based upon a careful assessment of each student's current situation as well as of the teacher's own role in the classroom. This review of the literature discusses common factors affecting student behavior; underlines…

A politicized, sophisticated citizenry split into several special interest factions is placing great demands on school board members just as they find themselves struggling with unprecedented organizational and financial difficulties. In order to meet these challenges, board members must respond to districtwide needs rather than represent special…

This monograph provides a description of the teaching methods and goals of the "Assessment of Neighborhood/Transnational Human Relations through Original Studies" (ANTHROS) project. ANTHROS is a team-effort community discovery project for young people between the ages of 15 and 20. Its aim is to increase knowledge of the international links of…

THE INFLUENCE OF HISTORICAL, SOCIAL, AND CULTURAL FACTORS UPON THE EARLY LEARNING PROCESS OF SAN JUAN INDIAN CHILDREN WAS RELATED TO THE CONDUCT OF HEAD START PROGRAMS. FOUR TYPES OF DATA WERE USED, (1) PERSONAL RESEARCH INTO THE PUEBLO'S HISTORY, (2) TESTS AND OBSERVATIONS OF 50 INDIAN CHILDREN OF ALL AGES, (3) INFORMATION ABOUT SPECIFIC HEAD…