This ASCD Study Guide is meant to enhance your understanding of Mobilizing the Community to Help Students Succeed, an ASCD book written by Hugh B. Price, published in July 2008.

The questions and activities that follow are designed to help you make connections between the text and your personal and professional situations and experiences. They are not meant to cover all aspects of the book but rather to address specific ideas that might warrant further reflection. Most of the questions are ones you can think about on your own, but you might consider pairing with a colleague or forming a study group with others who have read or are reading Mobilizing the Community to Help Students Succeed.

Chapter 1: Understanding the Challenge

1. The most up-to-date version of the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) is available online. Click here to review your state's assessment and student demographics data, including its "History of NAEP Participation and Performance" table. Look at the achievement level information in a variety of subject areas and note the pattern of student achievement. What percentage of your state's student population falls into the "Below Basic" category?
2. Over the past several years, what kinds of reform initiatives has your school or school district put in place? What affect have they had on curriculum and instruction? On test scores? On student success? On school climate? Would you say that the resulting gains have been satisfactory? Why or why not?
3. The author describes the preparation gap as "the difference between what youngsters know and are able to do and what they need to know and be able to do to succeed in school, function effectively in postsecondary education, land a job with good pay and benefits, and go on to enjoy a middle-class lifestyle." Do you see any signs of a preparation gap in your own student population? Can you identify particular areas of concern?
4. Is student disengagement an issue in your school or school system? How does this issue manifest itself? What steps have you taken to address it? Have these steps been successful?
5. What initiatives are in place, either districtwide or at the school level, to involve parents and community members in efforts to promote academic success?

Chapter 2: Boosting Student Motivation

1. What do you believe to be the key factors influencing student motivation, both in general and in your specific student population? Which of these factors are most within a school's realm of influence? Which might be more effectively addressed by reaching out to the larger community?
2. What are your thoughts on the "military model" of motivation?
3. The author advocates initiatives that focus on valuing students as individuals, giving students the benefits of belonging, and providing recognition and rituals. Does your school or district sponsor activities that fit these descriptions? What is their affect on student motivation?
4. What role, if any, does the community play in your student-motivation initiatives?
5. How might you revise current initiatives in light of the information in this chapter?

Chapter 3: Celebrating Student Achievement

1. What are some of the challenges inherent in fostering a culture of academic achievement?
2. What role does the public celebration of achievement now play in your student-motivation initiatives?
3. The author shares success stories of "Achievement Months," parades, achievement fairs, and recognition events. Do you currently engage in similar efforts? Have they been successful? What role does the community play in these events?
4. Create a list of the kinds of activities that might be part of an achievement fair in your school or district.
5. Create a list of the kinds of activities that might be part of an achievement fair in your school or district.
6. Discuss ways in which initiatives like those mentioned in this chapter might move forward in your district or have a greater impact. What steps would you need to take? What obstacles would you face? What community partnerships would you need to form?

Chapter 4: Promoting Academic Success

1. What ongoing initiatives does your school or district currently sponsor to support and promote academic success? Are these efforts general or focused on a specific aim (such as acing the SAT or improving literacy)? Would you say current initiatives have had a positive influence on student motivation? Why or why not? What role does (or might) the community play in such initiatives?
2. Discuss the pros and cons of incorporating community-provided rewards (including books, monetary prizes, and bicycles) into programs aimed at promoting academic success.
3. Think about a design for a community-based honor society that would work for your school or district. What kind of accomplishment would you honor? What would the standards of admission be? Who would manage the program? How might it function as an ongoing means of motivation?
4. Consider the evaluation criteria you might use to gauge the success of initiatives to promote academic success and the kinds of midcourse corrections you might take to help faltering initiatives succeed.
5. Discuss ways in which initiatives like those mentioned in this chapter might move forward in your district or have a greater impact. What steps would you need to take? What obstacles would you face? What community partnerships would you need to form?

Chapter 5: Mobilizing the Village

1. Reflect on your school or district's status in terms of mobilizing the community to help students succeed. Is there groundwork already in place: existing outreach procedures, established relationships, and strategic partnerships on which you might build? Or will it be necessary—or even just preferable—to start from scratch? Why or why not? After reviewing the author's suggested course for getting started as outlined on pages 90–95, identify the specific community partners you might invite to an initial mobilization meeting.
2. Discuss the various outreach and mobilization strategies you might undertake to recruit fellow educators, work with volunteer groups, work with religious organizations, and work with corporations.
3. Consider the opportunities for enlisting the media and the challenges this may bring. List two or three different achievement-focused events or initiatives (hypothetical or actual) and consider how you might best frame them to successfully spread the message that achievement matters.
4. After reviewing the author's list of potential funding sources on pages 117–120, make a list of organizations you might approach and draft a "pitch" to each, explaining your mission and goals. You might wish to role-play these exchanges.