Traces the establishment of the Salem School and Orphanage for African Americans in Elk Park, North Carolina in the late nineteenth century, when mission work on behalf of African Americans in Appalachia was rare. The school was started by Emily Prudden and run by White Mennonite missionaries who faced threats and racism from the surrounding…

Describes the Skyline Farms Project in Appalachian Alabama, a largely unsuccessful attempt to transform ex-tenant farmers into independent landowners. Traces the history of Skyline Farms from the 1930s to the early 1940s. Describes community attitudes and social services (education, health, recreation, home economics). Discusses reasons for the…

Traces the changing responsibilities of boards of education in response to public attitudes and social change. Examines the impact of research reports on public school reform since the publication of "A Nation at Risk" in 1983. Emphasizes the findings of the effective schools research. (FMW)

This book is a comparative analysis of the tensions, compromises and conflicts over school reform in four urban school systems in the United States. In examining the contradictory forces that shaped urban education in the U.S., it illuminates how grassroots movements operated during the early twentieth century. Unlike many of the standard…

Details the history of Big Laurel, West Virginia from 1918-1941, 1941-1965, and 1965-1983, noting the effects on education of events in all three periods. Describes the opening, closing, consolidation, and reopening of community schools, and the construction, development, philosophy, and curriculum of the new Big Laurel School. (SB)

From 1950 to 1970, the shift from agriculture to industry dominated Ashe County, North Carolina, isolated on the Blue Ridge by rugged terrain and severe weather. Rural farm population declined by 2/3 but rural non-farm population tripled. Many new industries helped shift the bulk of the work force to industry. In 1950, 45% of the work force farmed…

In an attempt to formulate a set of testable propositions about the dynamics of Hispanic life that will be valuable pedagogically and as a basis for public policy formation, this study assesses the impact of Hispanic Americans on Wichita, Kansas. Chapter 1 identifies the Hispanic origins of Kansas' 63,339 Hispanics who represent 2.7% of the…

A University of Alaska staff member, two local teachers, and two community members used on-site visits, observations, questionnaires, and interviews to assess development of the Manokotak school from its inception in 1947 to 1984 as perceived by community members, school staff, and students. Rural and cross-cultural, the Alaskan school served 117…