School communities have been shut out of many of the more critical decision-making processes impacting local public schools. Decisions are mostly made as top-down actions from federal mandates, general assemblies, state departments, districts, and school level administration teams, isolating the school communities they are tasked to serve.…

The small rural community of Cherryville, North Carolina was examined to determine the relationship between its cultural background and its decision making processes. Specific objectives were to: (1) identify and record insights into the culture of the community; (2) include and preserve an accurate record of the cultural practices and beliefs;…

The first part of this report contains a case study from each of the eight southern states participating in a late 1970s project which focused primarily on the organization of rural counties for making decisions that affect the well-being of county residents. In the second section, the study counties (identified as low income in 1950) are placed…

In developing programs to foster purposive social change, it is imperative that program planners receive information regarding the perceptions of those in key positions and the general public concerning the major problems or issues facing a county. This report assesses the characteristics of leaders from several North Carolina counties in regard…