A study designed to assess the academic performance of native and transfer students in the upper division of the University of Florida was launched to analyze and compare grade point averages, attrition rates, and progress towards graduation of various groups admitted to the program and to determine whether previous academic performance is related…

Many schools have instituted their own community polls to provide a vehicle for school decision-making. Highlights the steps involved in developing effective polling techniques through adaptation of the Gallup Poll. Includes a discussion of "do's" and "don'ts" for telephone pollsters and a sample polling instrument. (MD)

Implementing community education programs within the context of the regular school system can enhance communication between the school and the community and increase public support and involvement. (PGD)

Reporting on a survey of southwestern school principals' public relations practices, the author implies that training in public relations activities is needed to improve public confidence in education. A table of survey findings is included. (MD)

Reports findings of a study designed to determine teacher public relations practices and their perceived importance. Concludes that teachers are doing much to promote school community relations but that they need to make additional efforts. (FL)

Local districts can assess public opinion concerning the schools by adapting the questions asked and the data analysis methods used in national Gallup polls for use in local surveys. A comparison of national poll results with results of polls in four Arizona cities illustrates the value of this concept. (PGD)

A survey of public school supporters reveals that they attend school functions and receive regular communications from the schools. (FL)

The author suggests that, when hiring new faculty, universities specify exactly the number of publications and research projects expected of them. He cites the cases of three assistant professors who were dismissed or not promoted for concentrating on field service rather than on research and writing. (SJL)

Attempts to correct misconceptions about the philosophy of community education, reviews its historical base, and discusses five principles basic to an understanding of and a commitment to the community education philosophy. (Author/RK)

NASSP's Assessment Center Project has identified 12 key skills for successful principals: problem analysis, judgment, organizational ability, decisiveness, leadership, sensitivity, stress tolerance, oral communication, written communication, wide-ranging interests, personal motivation, and educational values. Effective principals succeed by…

"Research messages 2011" is a collection of summaries of research projects published by National Centre for Vocational Education Research (NCVER) in 2011. The publication also has an overview essay that captures the themes and highlights from the research for the year, including: (1) the initial education and training of young people and…

Presents management models showing the evolution of public expectancy as reflected in legislated policy: the petty cash model, the public utility model, and the business model. Discusses the John A. Walker Community Center at Wilkes Community College (North Carolina) as an example of the integrated planning/resource development (i.e., business)…

The views and attitudes of ten North American educational policy-makers concerning curriculum development and design are presented. The theories and research of Herbert M. Kliebard, Fenwick W. English, Walter Werner, John I. Goodlad, Decker F. Walker, William A. Reid, Norman E. Gleadow, Neil Postman, Elliot W. Eisner, and Michael W. Apple are…

This book includes a range of community peacebuilding experiences from across the Commonwealth that have been applying open and distance learning (ODL) approaches. The case studies offer insights into the challenges as well as the kinds of interventions that have worked and how they can be built upon. They show that ODL can be an effective and…

Information concerning teachers' attitudes toward community education was gathered from a group of teachers who had completed community education courses and was compared to information gathered from a group of teachers who had never taken such courses. The two groups were divided into three age classifications, three teaching experience levels,…