The ability of principals to evaluate special education teachers is an area of concern due to the principals' lack of training or experience in special education. Available research findings clearly indicate the need for training of principals in special education concerns. A statewide survey of principals was conducted to determine their levels…

A 3-year university-based inservice training model for personnel serving handicapped preschoolers (aged 0-5) in rural New Mexico has been comprised of seven major steps: establishment of traineeships, information dissemination/recruitment, selection of trainees, needs assessment, development of coursework, training, and evaluation. Twenty-eight…

Two questionnaires were developed to assess the knowledge levels and perceived inservice training needs of those working in handicapped preschool programs in New Mexico and in El Paso Independent School District (EPSID). The New Mexico instrument was sent to all personnel in the state identified as having a connection with preschool programs for…

A study investigated the ranking by first-year teachers of how much support instructional practices in reading received by universities, administrators, colleagues, and parents. Subjects, 110 new teachers in Texas, Colorado, and New Mexico, completed the survey. Results indicated that administrators, colleagues, and parents encourage use of basal…

To determine perceptions of school board members, teachers, and principals in rural schools about the quality of their educational programs, the type of preparation they had received in preservice programs, and the inservice opportunities available to them, responses to questionnaires from 2,028 teachers, 119 principals, and 113 school board…

New Mexico CURRENTS is an ongoing project that provides teams of educators from 11 elementary and secondary schools with culturally relevant humanities content and technical assistance in curriculum development and methodology. After being immersed in a rich knowledge base of New Mexican arts and humanities, the educator teams are expected to…

This review of articles and facts about microcomputers focuses on the development of hardware and software and the use of microcomputers in education, particularly rural education. In addition to presenting a brief history of microcomputers, the review presents information regarding the costs and brands of microcomputers; the development, use,…

A three-year collaborative, inservice teacher-training program--being implemented by New Mexico State University, the University of Arizona, and rural school districts in New Mexico and Arizona--is designed to improve educational and occupational opportunities of rural girls and young women in the region. The program emphasizes new and less…

Rural elementary school teachers interested in improving science instruction are frequently hampered by inadequate training in science, lack of information on local natural history resources, and time and curriculum constraints. On the other hand, rural schools are usually located near meadows, forests, or undeveloped land, and rural students…

Rural schools along the New Mexico-Mexico border face unusual challenges in meeting the special education needs of a culturally and linguistically diverse (CLD) population. This population includes Anglo Americans, Mexican Americans, Mexicans, and American Indians. Few school districts have an integrated or coordinated bilingual special education…

This study describes how some school districts have implemented full motion, two-way interactive video in rural small schools and communities. A prototype and guidelines for future implementation are presented. Researchers studied 14 school districts in the Oklahoma Panhandle and eastern New Mexico and three sites in Texas where the technology has…

Collaboration between New Mexico State University's College of Education and three other entities has led to the computer experience microvan program, implemented in 1983, a unique system for bringing microcomputers into rural New Mexico K-12 classrooms. The International Space Hall of Fame Foundation provides the van, International Space Center…

Levels of achievement and participation in both school mathematics and school science remain unacceptable throughout most of the nation. Addressing these concerns has unique and specific ramifications for small rural schools, particularly with respect to the economic aspects of providing the materials and manipulatives necessary for hands-on…