State postsecondary education data systems are vital assets for policymakers, researchers, and the public. The State Higher Education Executive Officers Association's (SHEEO) Communities of Practice project builds upon SHEEO's efforts to measure the capacity and effective use of state postsecondary data systems and provides states with…

Although many school boards' policies on public use of school district facilities are deliberately vague and allow administrators great flexibility in their interpretation, this paper advocates well-defined regulations. It presents a sample policy, discusses legal concerns, and suggests essential provisions of facility-use policy. The policy…

American rural communities are decaying, the underlying causes being chronic unemployment and inadequate infrastructure. The information age can cause the ultimate demise of rural America by further eroding local institutions or it can be its savior by revitalizing the sense of community. The link between community development and the information…

This study was initiated to investigate the relationship between voters' socioeconomic and attitudinal characteristics and their behavior in school district financial referenda. Using a survey instrument developed through pilot study application and factor analysis techniques, data were collected from 1,030 registered voters in three Kansas school…

University for Man (UFM) has developed into a major national organization, impacting the worlds of lifelong learning, alternative education, and rural and community resource development. It was founded in 1968 when Manhattan, Kansas, residents secured several hundred dollars from the Kansas State University student government to organize seven…

A qualitative examination was made of the black newspaper, "The Blade" in Parsons, Kansas, during two six-week periods: September 24-October 29, 1892, the first available issues of the paper, appearing just prior to national elections; and October 23-November 27, 1897, which included two weeks before and four weeks after local elections.…

Rural communities are often plagued with socioeconomic challenges that contribute to family vulnerability and developmental challenges. Family Development Programs is a course that provides learning experiences related to rural community issues and family interactions with an opportunity to review programs that are provided within the region.…

The fiscal and demographic realities of the 1980's require increased levels of cooperation between universities and community colleges. Motivated by their mutual self-interest, a large midwestern university, the University of Kansas (KU), and one of its feeder institutions, Johnson County Community College (JCCC), a large comprehensive community…

The presentations comprising this report examine the approaches that representatives of small and rural community colleges have used in creating and maintaining positive working relationships with state legislative bodies. After introductory remarks by Herbert E. Phillips, Milton O. Jones discusses the fiscal constraints at small colleges that…

Noting that the trend in the newspaper industry from the predictive-control model to the explanative-naturalistic model mirrors a trend in the communication discipline toward qualitative research and more meaningful connections between industry and academia, a study investigated Sedgwick County, Kansas residents' concerns regarding politics and…

Factors important to assessing community college enrollment trends and the future implications of these trends are discussed. Changes in college student characteristics included an increased percentage of women and part-time students, increased student age, and more vocational programs. Colleges must monitor their enrollments using existing…

As part of a longitudinal project to inventory computer equipment and identify current instructional use of microcomputers in Kansas community colleges, surveys were sent to the 19 community colleges in Kansas in spring 1994. The surveys solicited data on student enrollment, which subject areas utilized microcomputers, types of hardware available,…

The impact of decreasing enrollments is being felt by many postsecondary institutions. Some institutions have been forced to close as a result of their failure to recognize the problem and their consequent entrapment in a vicious spiral: decreasing enrollments bring about reduced revenues; declining income results in personnel and program…

This report describes training programs for paraprofessionals to accommodate the rapid growth of special education services in rural Kansas. Developed and implemented by state and local education agencies, the programs are based on the performance competencies established for paraprofessionals, and certification is enforced through the State…

The federally mandated welfare program Jobs Opportunities and Basic Skills (JOBS) was preceded in Kansas by KANWORK, a pilot effort in four counties designed to initiate job preparedness and esteem-building programs. KANWORK, which was to be mandatory for certain public assistance recipients, included education, job skills training, job readiness…