The Center on Reinventing Public Education (CRPE) has been studying the four-day school week since 2015. Since then, the phenomenon of the four-day school week has spread into non-rural areas and interest appears to be growing. Given these apparent changes, the author wanted to know more about recent trends in the initiative. As districts continue…

The close-knit, personal nature of small rural communities results in school and community operating as a single integrated social structure. Useful rural school improvement strategies must, therefore, address needs that are recognized by both the local school and the community and must operate in a style congruent with the local setting. Although…

This study evaluates interactive television (ITV) demonstration projects placed in Minnesota schools to minimize educational inequities between small, large, urban, and suburban districts. The basic data gathered for the first evaluation included exploratory interviews, document reviews, and case studies. The study found significant implementation…

Describes a one-day Minnesota conference for special-education secondary students and their teachers that included advocacy and information dissemination allowing students to explore postsecondary education. After participating, an increased number of students could envision a future that includes postsecondary education, and students had more…

Special education directors, special education teachers, and Indian education directors from 25 northern Minnesota rural school districts were surveyed concerning special education practices involving Native American students. Although most respondents were satisfied with the referral and placement process, Indian education directors expressed…

Presents a computerized programmatic feasibility model for estimating revenues and expenditures of Minnesota school districts to determine whether a district or combination of districts could offer state-mandated instructional and support services on a continuing basis. Discusses four pilot applications relating to reorganization decisions. (SV)

The Minnesota Area Health Education Center programs (AHEC) from 1972-81 improved health care in rural Minnesota areas by providing 2,200 health-professional students and resident physicians with off-campus courses and clinical training. Other programs provided continuing education, patient education, quality assurance, and minority career…

Case studies of local development projects in Scotland, Norway, Australia, and the United States (Minnesota) indicate that federal education programs of a "generative" nature (those linking educational improvement to other improvement efforts, emphasizing process, and stimulating grass-roots participation) are most likely to promote…

The experiences of the 3-year Minnesota Severely Handicapped Delivery System Project have led to a model which utilizes resources of regional systems as key elements of a differentiated system for educational service delivery to the handicapped in rural areas and involves state education agencies, statewide regional centers, local education units,…