This report surveys data from various Kentucky state government agencies and provides an assessment of economic problems in Kentucky's Appalachian region. A profile of the region and overview of the effectiveness of implemented programs are presented. Interviews with Area Development District Directors show a concern for the image of Appalachia.…

The rural economy has performed badly during the 1980s. While the recession of the early 1980s was responsible for much of the trouble, the slow rural recovery demonstrates the fundamental hurdles facing the rural economy. Central among these are economic disadvantages, including remote locations isolating rural producers from their markets, low…

A new era of farming is evolving in Kentucky. Resulting primarily from the loss of medium-sized operations, there has been a decline in the total number of farms. The real value of farmland dropped 16% in Kentucky between 1981 and 1985. More farmers are seeking off-farm employment in order to continue family operations. Similarly, more farmers…

This paper questions whether public concerns about educational quality and slow economic development in Appalachia are being addressed adequately and suggests that the problem of lagging educational performance is rooted in the social and economic environment within which schools operate. Recent high unemployment in south central Kentucky and its…

Describes need to improve education in Kentucky's Fifth Congressional District which has the lowest percentage of high school graduates in the nation. Reports peoples' perceptions of educational problems; details community financial support; provides comparative statistics on educational attainment, math and reading mastery, dropouts,…