The Allegany County School System and the Maryland School for the Deaf (MSD) have collaborated to develop a satellite program that brings MSD educational services to hard-of-hearing and deaf elementary students in rural western Maryland. In the past 5 years, the number of hearing-impaired preschoolers in Allegany and Garrett Counties increased…

Seven rural counties on Maryland's Eastern Shore cooperated in a 3-year project to determine the feasibility of using microcomputers to instruct special education students in writing skills. All 42 participating teachers received inservice training in teaching writing to special education students; the 26 teachers in the experimental group were…

This paper describes the Rural Teaching Effectiveness Network, created to overcome difficulties associated with offering staff development experiences in rural Maryland. The long distances often required to attend staff development activities can discourage rural teachers' commitment. Similar problems exist in creating standards of professional…

In recognition of the special challenges that rural areas face in delivering services to students with disabilities, the boards of education of five rural counties on Maryland's Eastern Shore created the Mid-Shore Special Education Consortium in 1973. The Consortium counties represent a population of 24,000 students and provide special education…