Provides a narrative review of some literature--research, theory, and commentary--conveying the concept of school as community. Reviews sociological writings about community over two centuries and merges this line of thought with contemporary inquiry into the social contexts of schooling, including family relationships. (34 references) (MLH)

Discusses results of a school-community survey administered to parents and teachers in nine K-5 buildings in two Pennsylvania districts. Surveys were correlated with student-performance indicators and with the school's poverty index and average daily attendance. Results indicate that school and home practices important to academic learning vary…

Outlines a working definition of school community, traces connections between definitional components of community and children's learning, and suggests ways to measure school community components to establish a school-improvement indicator. Results of a parent/teacher survey explore community components such as shared educational values,…

The "curriculum of the home" consists of patterns of habit formation and attitude development that prepare children for academic learning and sustain them through the schooling years. Building on Herbert Walberg's educational productivity findings, this article isolates family values (high regard for personal development, communication,…

The 1966 Coleman report found that minority children began school with educational deficiencies and performed better in schools with predominantly middle-class student bodies. Some highly political responses to this report have been political and structural (e.g., busing and choice). Two school-initiated responses that avoid reshuffling students…

A school community is a collection of people affiliated with a school who have identified shared educational values and associate with one another to act upon those values. School-related social capital has decreased because parents whose children attend a school do not necessarily associate. Tips for strengthening school community are provided.…

Geography does not make community, nor does membership or casual affiliation. When the school functions as a community, its constituents associate, share common educational values, and become responsible for one another. As this journal issue shows, teachers are not isolated practitioners but professionals integrated into the web of community and…

Many schools are trying to reconnect elements of schooling that have grown apart since one-room schoolhouse days. This article explores alternatives to tracking and specialized curricula, including instructional alignment, criterion-referenced tests, schoolwide instructional strategies (cooperative learning and computer-assisted instruction),…