A system of Regional Educational Laboratories (RELs) was organized in December 1985 covering all 50 states and the territories. Each of the nine laboratories addresses regional needs for school improvement. This report (1) provides lab names, states served, and contact information; (2) describes REL tasks; and (3) focuses on REL collaboration on…

The State of Iowa conducted several higher education inventory studies in an effort to identify strategies and priorities for the future. The Long Range Strategic Planning Study, the first of the studies to be undertaken, was charged with reviewing all academic programs, identifying program strengths, and making recommendations for redesigning the…

The diminishing role of the federal government in rural development has created an opportunity for new initiatives in this area. One potentially useful response is the creation of a state-rural policy center. Such centers can combine the efforts of land grant institutions, extension services, and state universities in the development and…

Development, structure, and uses of multi-institutional and statewide student databases at the state level are examined, based on results of a national survey of state higher education agencies. The issue of confidentiality is also discussed. Construction and uses of a multi-institutional system in Colorado are then described, and its advantages…

This paper describes the activities of the Michigan Department of Education and local districts in establishing a statewide plan for using microcomputers in education. Components of the plan include the design of a computer literacy grant program known as TIME (Technology in Michigan Education); the establishment and funding of a statewide network…