About Race Relations newsletter

About.com's free weekly email newsletter about Race Relations.

Resource Link: http://racerelations.about.com

Administrative Structure and Social Democratic Results: The Case of Education

Kevin B. Smith.

At the center of the contemporary education reform debate is an argument that organizational structure makes a difference to school outcomes. This in turn centers on a basic premise of the public choice literature -- that public and private goods and services are in some fashion analogous, and public sector performance can be improved by adopting at least some of the institutional arrangements and processes of the market (Tiebout 1956). This case study of education with respect to administrative structure examines the goals and challenges to differentially structured education systems.

Resource Link: http://sansfoy.hti.umich.edu/pdf/0472113178-ch11.pdf

American Psychological Association (APA)

The APA is a scientific and professional organization that represents psychology in the U.S. and is the largest association of psychologists worldwide. While a scientific organization, its attitude toward lesbians, gays and bisexuals can be described as fairly positive. Searching for a given topic on the APA?’s site is likely to produce a wide variety of types of results - anything from guidelines for psychotherapists dealing with a particular issue to research papers to APA-authored amicus briefs.

Resource Link: http://www.apa.org

AmericanValuesAre.com

AmericanValuesAre.com was designed to promote civic education and civic engagement. Civic education leads to responsible citizenship. Responsible citizens are the core foundation of our democratic system. Our guides are designed to encourage dialogue about what it means to be a citizen, and to energize more Americans to be engaged in shaping and interacting with their own government. We also hope to be able to inform and educate people on how to engage in the dialogue that leads to common ground and minimizes partisan debate that divides and demoralizes us.

Resource Link: http://www.americanvaluesare.com

An Evaluation of the Ford Foundation's Neighborhood and Family Initiative

Robert Chaskin, Selma Chipenda-Dansokho, Mark Joseph, and Carla Richards. Chapin Hall Center for Children at the University of Chicago, 2001.

This evaluation of the Ford Foundation's Neighborhood and Family Initiative reviews its activities since 1996 and distills lessons learned about comprehensive approaches to community building, including lessons about the role of collaboration, resident participation, funding, outcomes, and evaluation.

Resource Link: http://www.chapinhall.org/article_abstract.aspx?ar=1295&L2=63&L3=108

Association for Community Health Improvement

The Association for Community Health Improvement is the premier national association for community health, healthy communities and community benefit. We convene and support leaders from the health care, public health, community and philanthropic sectors to help achieve shared community health goals, and work with hundreds of members to strengthen community health through education, peer networking and the dissemination of practical tools.

Resource Link: http://www.communityhlth.org

At Issue: Marriage. Exploring the Debate Over Marriage Rights for Same-Sex Couples

GLSEN (Gay, Lesbian & Straight Education Network), 2003.

This resource offers educators six lesson plans for high school aged students that challenges them to explore the range of complex issues reflected in the marriage debate. The resource was developed at the time when the U.S. was awaiting the decision of the Massachusetts Supreme Court on the right of same-sex couples to civil marriage.

Resource Link: http://www.glsen.org/cgi-bin/iowa/educator/library/record/1411.html

Bibliography: "Campus climate" reports

Originally compiled by Robin Miller for the National Consortium of Directors of LGBT Resources in Higher Education. Last updated October 22, 2002.

Resource Link: http://www.lgbtcampus.org/resources/campus_climate.html

Brookings Institution

The Brookings Institution is a private nonprofit organization devoted to independent research and innovative policy solutions. For more than 90 years, Brookings has analyzed current and emerging issues and produced new ideas that matter?—for the nation and the world. For policy-makers and the media, Brookings scholars provide the highest quality research, policy recommendations, and analysis on the full range of public policy issues.

Resource Link: http://www.brookings.org

Campus Climate for Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, and Transgender People: A National Perspective

Susan R. Rankin. The Policy Institute of the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force (www.thetaskforce.org), 2003.

This 78-page report details the experiences of gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender (GLBT) people at 14 colleges and universities across the country. Based on a survey of nearly 1700 students, faculty, and staff, Campus Climate documents experiences and perceptions of anti-GLBT bias and harassment, along with levels of institutional support for GLBT people. It highlights differences in experiences between various identity groups (e.g. students vs. faculty/staff, gays/lesbians vs. bisexuals, people of color vs. whites, etc.).

Resource Link: http://www.thetaskforce.org/downloads/CampusClimate.pdf

Campus Diversity and Student Self-Segregation: Separating Myths from Facts

Debra Humphreys. Association of American Colleges & Universities.

A survey of the most recent research suggests that, indeed, campus diversity is leading to significant educational and social benefits for all college students. It also suggests that, contrary to popular reports, student self-segregation is not, in fact, a dominant feature of campus life today. This paper summarizes new research on campus diversity and on the actual extent of student self-segregation and interaction across racial/ethnic lines on college campuses today. Written for the Ford Foundation Campus Diversity Initiative.

Resource Link: http://www.diversityweb.org/diversity_innovations/institutional_leadership/campus_climate_culture/student_segregation.cfm

Cause For Concern: Hate Crimes in America

Civilrights.org, the Civil Rights Coalition for the 21st Century.

The first major comprehensive assessment of the hate crime problem in the United States, Cause for Concern discusses what is being done to promote respect for diversity and to combat crimes based on bias. The document includes ten recommendations for additional action by every sector of society.

Resource Link: http://www.civilrights.org/publications/reports/cause_for_concern/

Chapin Hall Center for Children at the University of Chicago

Building knowledge to serve children is the mission of the Chapin Hall Center for Children. Located at the University of Chicago, Chapin Hall is a research and development center that brings the highest standards of scholarship and the intellectual resources of one of the world's great research universities to the real-world challenges of policymakers and service providers struggling to ensure that children grow, thrive, and take their place in a formidable world. Working behind the scenes with lawmakers and government administrators, as well as on the front lines with program providers, Chapin Hall puts rigorous, non-partisan research in the hands of those who shape the programs and policies that affect all children in their daily lives.

Resource Link: http://www.chapinhall.org

Children's Social Consciousness and the Development of Social Responsibility

Sheldon Berman, Educators for Social Responsibility. SUNY Press, 1997.

This book breaks new ground in our understanding of the development of social consciousness and social responsibility in young people and the educational practices that promote this development. The author shows that children's awareness of the social and political world emerges far earlier and their moral abilities are more advanced than we thought. He provides educators and researchers with the developmental understandings and instructional strategies necessary to enable students to become active, caring, and responsible members of our social and political community.

Resource Link: http://esrnational.org/Merchant2/merchant.mvc

Citizens Health Care Working Group

Established by the US Congress in 2003, the Citizens Health Care Working Group is mandated to create a nationwide public debate about improving the health care system to provide every American with the ability to obtain quality, affordable health care coverage. Congress is expected to vote on the recommendations that result from the debate. The group is holding a series of small and large-scale public meetings throughout 2006 aimed at engaging the American public in establishing the values and priorities that must drive health care reform in 2008 and beyond.

Resource Link: http://www.citizenshealthcare.gov

City Voices, Children's Needs

The National League of Cities.

Describes widespread concerns about the quality of schools, violence by and among young people, and inadequate opportunities for youth to become engaged in constructive activities during non-school hours.

Resource Link: http://www.nlc.org

Civilrights.org (The Online Social Justice Network)

Civilrights.org provides a home for policy perspectives, strategies, and research. Run by the Leadership Conference on Civil Rights, a coalition of 180 organizations working for equality and justice. Visitors can post events to the calendar, add content to the library, etc.

Resource Link: http://www.civilrights.org

Community Health News

The Association for Community Health Improvement is the premier national association for community health, healthy communities and community benefit. Community Health News is a weekly e-newsletter available to anyone who wishes to subscribe for non-commercial purposes. Currently, 2,000 subscribers receive weekly announcements of health trends and statistics, prevention programs, policy initiatives, funding opportunities, tools and best practices.

Resource Link: http://www.communityhlth.org/communityhlth/news/newsletter.html

Congress.org

Congress.org, a free public service of Capitol Advantage (a non-partisan company that specializes in facilitating civic participation), is a 'one-stop-shop' where people can identify their Congressional representatives; research Congressional voting records; learn about the issues of the day; and send email directly to Congress. Constituents can even opt to have their email message hand-delivered to their Representative or Senator's office on Capitol Hill--all without ever leaving their computer. During election time, Congress.org provides constituents tools for learning about candidates and makes registering to vote a snap.

Resource Link: http://www.congress.org

Diversity Web

AAC&U's DiversityWeb is the most comprehensive compendium of campus practices and resources about diversity in higher education that you can find anywhere. This site is designed to serve campus practitioners seeking to place diversity at the center of the academy's educational and societal mission.

Resource Link: http://www.diversityweb.org