This literature review and analysis of the problem of building community confidence focuses on the work of the Phi Delta Kappa (PDK) Commission on Developing Public Confidence in Schools. Approaches to confidence building are categorized as: communications, concentrating on expanding communications one-way between school and the home; public relations and seeking public involvement through opinion polls; and marketing, an extension of public relations that targets specific segments of the total audience for information. Assumptions, strategies, advantages, disadvantages, and leading advocates for each approach are tabulated. Relevant literature is outlined in a table summarizing the public relations, school-community relations, or communications practices/techniques described in the studies cited and categorizing communications practices in terms of learning style and action level. This summary of research identifies a heavy reliance on the mass media that is interpreted as reflecting the needs of efficiency, one-way flow of information, and reaching all members of the community. After a description of a PDK commission survey exploring public perceptions of factors causing gains and losses of confidence in the schools, the article concludes with an update of commission activities. Appendixes include a seminar model for expanding confidence-building efforts, and a table of categories, definitions, and examples. (MJL)