Basic faith in the public schools as the remedy for youth crime was spawned in the 19th century under the leadership of Horace Mann, and it continued into the 20th century. In the 1960's, however, schools were cited for their failure to stem the tide of youth crime and disorder and also for their failure to achieve almost all of their accepted goals. This narrow focus on the character of schools as a prime factor in delinquent behavior led to recommendations for reforming schools to make them safer and more orderly. This emphasis continues even in the face of such evidence as reported in the preliminary findings of a national longitudinal study on the causes and correlates of delinquency. This study found that although delinquency and drug use were associated with lower academic commitment and poor reading ability, the most seriously delinquent youth received the poorest parental supervision. Other evidence supports the fallacy of focusing on schools as the prime contributor to societal violence. A 4-year research and development project sponsored by the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention produced findings that suggest a focus that incorporates the community along with the school is necessary to improve school order and safety. Following up on these findings, the author of this article offers recommendations that pertain to the development of community networks; parental roles; school size, facilities, and staffing; and government policy.