In a time of fraying community and interpersonal relationships, rural school and community leaders are in search of research-based approaches to strengthen connections and sustain relationships among their students and community members. This article reports the findings from two studies (Moore, 2023; Weikert, 2022) documenting how and why, during…

Higher education is built on a long history of tradition, which, in many ways, has been impervious to outside pressures and influences. Despite having served as change agents for society, colleges and universities have resisted change for decades. Amid unprecedented pressure and scrutiny from outside stakeholders and dwindling state and federal…

The Western Interstate Commission for Higher Education (WICHE) and its 16 member states and territories work collaboratively to expand educational access and excellence for their citizens. By promoting innovation, cooperation, resource sharing, and sound public policy, WICHE strengthens higher education's contributions to social, economic, and…

The espoused foundation of U.S. society, "E pluribus unum" (out of many, one), is based on the belief that this nation should simultaneously support pluralism and promote unity. The road to making this ideal a reality, however, has not always been smooth. The ever-widening achievement gap highlights how this discordance plays out in our…

The Western Interstate Commission for Higher Education (WICHE) and its 16 members work collaboratively to expand educational access and excellence for all citizens of the West. By promoting innovation, cooperation, resource sharing, and sound public policy among its members and their institutions, WICHE strengthens higher education's contributions…

This study examines the systems of technical assistance and support that Northwest Region states implemented during 2005-2006 for schools in need of improvement. By highlighting key characteristics and differences among state systems, the intent is to stimulate an analysis of what states can do and what issues they might address to move schools…

This brief report consists of a series of observations on governance, planning, and coordination in Montana postsecondary education. It offers an impressionistic overview of three selected issues: the regents and the 1972 Constitution (background, governance, accountability, and legal protection); Governance of Vocational-Technical Centers (the…

Perspectives on higher education in Montana as viewed by the governor are presented. After briefly noting historical trends in Montana and the United States regarding education, concerns and trends in higher education are noted as follows: accountability to the public for how tax dollars are spent; evidence that there will be decreased demand for…

This report is an attempt to establish a statewide philosophy of education for Montana and to recommend methods for incorporating that philosophy at the State, local, and classroom levels. Twenty-two separate recommendations are made for implementing the educational philosophy developed by the Montana Board of Education, and much of the report is…

Montana developed an alternative certification program for special educators in response to severe personnel shortages in rural schools. Program strengths include 2 years of mentoring and flexibility in delivery that allows participants to earn certification while working. Evaluation results are presented along with suggested improvements, which…

Intended to stimulate discussion by Montana state leaders, this paper examines critical issues raised by the application of new technologies in public education in terms of the challenges they present to the Montana educational system. A statement of each issue is followed by a discussion of its implications. The issues examined relate to the…

This document summarizes presentations and discussions on school consolidation that took place at the 1994 Rural Education Conference held at Western Montana College. The summaries cover the following: (1) a panel discussion on the politics of school consolidation (influences on public opinion, need for balance between state and local control, and…

This paper reports on outcomes of community college programs monitored by the Wyoming Community College Commission (WCCC). The document covers the following WCCC objectives: (1) Study of tuition rates for the community colleges; (2) Negotiation of contracts and provision of financial support for administrative computing system components and…

To draft a proposal for cooperative use of computing resources among state university system units, community colleges and private colleges in Montana, a task force examined present resources and proposed strategies for the future. Recommendations are given in areas of management, hardware, software, staff, funding, training, and communications…

The Montana school accreditation requirements require that school districts begin a curriculum development process in 1991. A plan for student assessment is required to follow curriculum development in each program area. The guidelines in this document should facilitate the cooperative efforts of teachers, curriculum departments, administrators,…