A small rural high school committed to becoming a high-tech school. However, data collected using the IPI-T process suggested teachers were typically the users of the technology, students were often disengaged, and teachers were asking students to participate in lower-order surface activities. Missing from the process was the implementation of the…

The purpose of this paper is to inform evaluators of a method of evaluating capacity building in educational programs. One definition of capacity building is helping an organization increase its ability to fulfill its mission (Wing, 2004). Evaluators of capacity-building efforts therefore must focus on evidence that the program has helped to build…

This paper describes the culture of experiential community based learning at Central College, a rural liberal arts college in Midwestern, USA. Pre-service teachers use experiential community based learning to reflect on their personal growth in understanding the needs of diverse learners. Reflections demonstrate how the program contributes to the…

To determine the effectiveness of local postsecondary advisory councils in Iowa, this two-phase study surveyed every Iowa postsecondary vocational instructor to identify programs utilizing local advisory councils, the composition of these councils, and names and addresses of leading council members. Phase 2 used a more detailed questionnaire…

Scheduled for implementation in 1985, Student Excellence through Educational Development of Staff (SEEDS) is a 3-year cooperative partnership between four rural Southwest Iowa school districts to provide comprehensive, long-term staff development that promises to heighten student achievement through increasing instructional/supervision skills of…

This symposium on the learning organization is comprised of three papers. "Leading the Learning Organization" (James R. Johnson) examines actions that four leaders of widely diverse organizations took to transform an organization into a learning organization. (Leaders who were successful in implementing the learning organization concept…

A study was conducted to determine present and future needs perceptions of teachers and others for curriculum resource materials and related curriculum assistance to promote equitable access and success for men and women, single parents, and displaced homemakers in vocational-technical education. The information gathered was to be used as a basis…

A project is described wherein the major activity is assistance to schools for implementing or revising science curriculum programs in Iowa schools. Programs emphasized include all grade levels. Assistance is provided in the areas of mathematics and social studies as well as science. A K-12 Environmental Studies Program was developed by the…

The twelve speeches and related panel discussions presented here were the major content of a meeting of professionals to identify future trends in sociology, economics, and education and to discuss these trends in light of future program purposes and direction of agriculture and agribusiness education. Titles and authors are as follows: (1)…

A positive relationship has been found between access to telecommunications capabilities and improved economic development. However, the deployment of systems that deliver toll-free Internet access favors urban regions. This research examines Internet service providers' (ISP) operations in rural portions of Texas, Iowa, Louisiana, and West…

This paper explores gifted education and plans for inservice teacher education in gifted education programs in Iowa. A survey was conducted of 238 Iowa public school districts having programs for gifted students. Initial analysis of the data involved a frequency count for each of 13 survey items which rated program emphasis on major provisions of…

The paper addresses issues facing small and rural Iowa school districts that attempt to provide services for their gifted and talented students. Problems with transportation, personnel costs, and the small number of target students are cited, and enrichment program alternatives such as mentorships, educational programing from television and radio,…

Summarizes three conference presentations on the effects of the economic climate on academic libraries in Iowa. These presentations focused on the impact of austerity budgets on collection development, library services and personnel, and possible management approaches to retrenchment in these areas. (CLB)

Staff members at the Iowa Department of Education are involved in a 3-year initiative (1998-2001) to strengthen school improvement efforts at the local school, district, and intermediate service agency levels. Papers presented at a symposium of the American Educational Research Association annual meeting describe the multiple purposes and design…

This paper focuses on the history and utilization of special education funding in the Green Valley Area Education Agency 14 (AEA 14). AEA 14 is the most rural AEA in Iowa and serves 22 public school districts and 1 parochial school district. AEA 14 has lagged financially due to its sparse population and low special education funding. Services such…