Families and communities are crucial assets in the education of students placed at risk, but in order to improve student outcomes, these assets must be activated by proactive school policies, programs, and practices. Program 3 develops, evaluates, and disseminates models of school, family, and community partnerships that help students succeed in school and achieve at high levels. This program consists of two major projects. Project 3.1 designs and evaluates two new models for organizing comprehensive programs of school, family, and community partnerships that promote student learning and success. These include one model to increase productive involvement in any school reform initiative, and one model for using school, family, and community partnerships to organize comprehensive school reform. Project 3.2 develops and evaluates new curricular designs form community learning activities that will develop students social, cultural, and academic skills and competencies in order to enhance school adjustment, social acceptance, and academic engagement and success of African-American elementary and middle grades students in distressed urban communities. The two projects are closely linked. For example, as they are tested and proven effective, the products of Project 3.2's community-learning curriculum is interwoven in Project 3.l's program development models. The two projects link their research, development, and dissemination to Talent Development Elementary, Middle, and High Schools (TDES, TDMS, and TDHS) in CRESPAR Programs 1 and 2, thereby ensuring cross-CRESPAR connections of school, family, and community partnerships with the talent development models.
