Evolution of Northern Arizona University's new Center for Excellence in Education (the former College of Education) is traced and its interaction with the university, schools, and public agencies is illustrated through discussion of two special education training programs. An overview is provided of the numerous changes resulting from the…

Project REACH (Rural Education Approach in a Consortium for Handicapped) was designed as a model program to demonstrate methods of service for mildly, moderately, and severely handicapped children located in 14 school district areas in 5 counties of the San Luis Valley in southern Colorado from October 1978 through June 1981. The main emphasis was…

Paul Hurder's model of the service delivery process (plus an organization variable) was used to examine factors which influenced effectiveness of special education resource teachers in small, rural elementary schools serving 250 or less English-speaking students in Quebec. Five resource teachers and 72 teachers they served rated each other in…

A review of the innovative and comprehensive educational programs in Alaska, funded under Title I of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act, is featured in this document. A brief sketch of the State of Alaska provides a basis of understanding of the rural education problems encountered in this large state. Each program instituted is discussed…

Describes the Wyoming Infant Stimulation Program (WISP) and its numerous collaborative activities with federal, state, and local agencies including the Agricultural Extension Service and maternal and child health programs. Notes that successful collaboration was informal and involved cooperation on specific, discrete joint projects responding to…

The Sensory Impaired Home Intervention (SKI*HI) Model provides services for rural, hearing impaired children at an average annual cost of $1,400 per child. Weekly home visits are provided by nearby or local part time parent advisors, thus minimizing travel costs and eliminating employment problems associated with long travel hours. (JHZ)

Describes a program that trains parents as support personnel in classrooms serving handicapped preschoolers, a program that combines computer technology and professional expertise to assist families without access to early intervention programs, and a program that uses parents to mediate an instructional program for handicapped children from birth…

Addresses the need to provide qualified special education personnel in rural school districts. Describes a flexible teacher training program that includes intensive short-term summer courses, correspondence course options, and relevant practicum experiences in rural areas. Presents demographic data from the first two years of field testing the…

Because of their cultural experiences, gifted Asian and Pacific-American children may demonstrate high ability and task commitment but need support for creativity--the third characteristic of productive, gifted individuals. Instructional approaches that reduce external evaluation, encourage risk taking, and provide opportunities for divergent…

The purposes of this project were to prepare students in rural and remote regions to receive Utah's birth-to-five preschool special education certificate and to enhance the quality of their preparation. The project proposed to: (1) support preparation for certification of at least 50 students who were residents of and serving preschoolers in rural…

This paper reports on a study of the factors influencing the educational placement choices of 25 rural parents of children who are deaf. Specifically, the study: (1) traced the placement decisions from the time their child's hearing loss was first documented to the transition periods into elementary and middle school; (2) identified the resources…

During an 8-month practicum, 41 mildly disabled high school students; their teachers, parents, and counselors; and community business representatives cooperated in defining individual school-to-work transition goals in educational, occupational/career, and social/personal areas. The major aim was to realistically and adequately prepare these…

In response to a shortage of special education teachers in Montana, a pilot emergency endorsement program (Office of Public Instruction Special Education Endorsement Project) was initiated in 1987. During 1988-97, the program enrolled 110 students, all of whom were simultaneously employed as teachers. Of these, 71 completed the program and…

The ability to conduct field-based research is a particularly valuable tool for special education teachers working in isolated rural areas. To address this need, the University of Kentucky's Developmental and Behavioral Disorders Program focuses on preparing graduate-level special education personnel to work in diverse settings; provide…

This paper reviews issues surrounding Hispanic students who are deaf or hard of hearing. Research indicates that Hispanic deaf and hard of hearing students generally have lower academic success than their deaf or hearing peers. In addition, they are more likely to drop out of school or be tracked into vocational programs and less likely to attend…