History tells the Civil Rights struggle through the lens of Selma, Alabama. Bloody Sunday, an event that galvanized a generation, provided the background for an interdisciplinary team of scholars, educators, local historians, and community members to focus on place-based learning experiences and explore civil rights education. The Selma event is…

According to the Alabama Commission on Higher Education (2010), the overall state average retention rate for fall 2009 was 65% for all institutions and 54% for two-year colleges in, particular. Trenholm State has a retention rate of 51% percent. Since 2002, the College's retention rate has increased from 37 to 51% percent as a result of its…

To examine ratings of satisfaction with selected community services in relation to spending preferences and to ascertain policy-relevant implications of citizen evaluations in planning and delivering rural services), a study focused on perceptions of community leaders and household respondents in eight rural Alabama counties. Research literature…

The effectiveness of a leadership development program for rural lay leaders on promoting community improvement in Lawrence County, Alabama was evaluated. The sample consisted of 16 disadvantaged rural lay leaders who participated in the 2-month program and 24-month follow-up activities; 60 disadvantaged rural lay leaders who only participated in…

This paper describes the organization and function of the Instructional Improvement Committee (IIC) system developed by the Jefferson County (Alabama) School System. Each school in the system has its own IIC, chaired by the school principal; the principal arranges for the election of at least one representative each from the various groups within…

A project initiated by the Auburn University (Alabama) program in music education in the College of Education and the Auburn University Cooperative Extension Service brought together school and community groups from targeted communities in Alabama to plan a conference to initiate thinking and develop action strategies for enriching the lives of…

HIV/AIDS are affecting increasingly complex, more diverse populations, particularly communities of color. Despite National prevention efforts designed to speak to marginal experience, these communities continue to be disproportionately affected, especially in rural areas of the country which are difficult to access with communication about HIV. A…

Materials developed by the Alabama community, junior, and technical colleges as part of a state-funded professional development effort are presented. The first sections provide information on Alabama's systemwide professional development activities; the organization and characteristics of the community, junior, and technical college system;…

This paper presents the case study of an attempt to bridge the gap between teacher and administrator preparation programs at Auburn University, Alabama, while engaging students in authentic learning situations at the Boys and Girls Club of Greater Lee County. The Boys and Girls Club of Greater Lee County serves 600 youth during the school year and…

Planning for viable rural communities must seek elements inherent in a well-kept American home: lights, water, telephone, employment of the household head, children in school, access to transportation, sufficient food, clothing, health care, recreation, etc. If a community falls short in these necessities, the "needs gap" is where…

In spite of their limitations, readability formulas can help teachers determine whether there are differences between students' reading abilities and the difficulty levels of the textbooks they are required to use. A study was conducted to assess the reading levels of students and the readability levels of textbooks at five selected junior…

This report presents the evaluation results gathered from a 2-year study of a drug prevention program involving a consortia of nine colleges and universities located in Alabama and Florida. The consortia effort was intended to: (1) strengthen their respective drug prevention activities; (2) develop policies governing alcohol and drugs; (3)…

This study investigated how various types of social support serve as moderators of stress for mothers (N=45) of moderately mentally retarded, school-aged children attending a public school special education program in south Alabama. Subjects were administered the Questionnaire on Social Support, which examines degree of support and subject…

The impact of the Rural Alabama Pregnancy and Infant Health (RAPIH) Program was evaluated in relation to prenatal care, birth outcome measures, and several child health and home environment outcomes. Begun in 1983, RAPIH targets poor rural blacks in three of west-central Alabama's poorest counties, where economic conditions and infant mortality…

This paper describes lessons learned while planning a statewide conference to increase the knowledge of tobacco control advocates and promote implementation of the Alabama Comprehensive Tobacco Use Prevention and Control Plan (Plan) within the state. The Plan has three overall goals: preventing youth from becoming tobacco users; promoting…