What happened in the small farm community of Elk Point, South Dakota, on January 8, 1986, was unimaginable--a father shot his family and then walked to work and shot himself. Upon learning of the murder/suicide, the Elk Point School District faced the difficult questions of what teachers should say to students, how the district should deal with…

This paper illuminates the physiological, socio-cultural, and linguistic obstacles which occur due to the interaction between American Indian cultures and the Anglo educational system and which make the identification of gifted and talented American Indian children difficult. It demonstrates the need for more culturally appropriate ways of…

Even as conceptual models, distinctions between "rural" and "urban" have become blurred--by changes in transportation, telecommunications, computer technology, business expertise, formal education, health care, and citizenry expectations/knowledge. Two typologies describing future trends and incorporating changes in rural/urban…

This three-part, long-range planning study was undertaken to assist North Idaho College (NIC) to more effectively meet the educational needs and interests of youth and adults residing in the five county Panhandle Area of Northern Idaho. Part I discusses NIC and its community; presents the results of a study of the educational plans and attitudes…

Focusing on the period from June, 1984 through November, 1984, this report summarizes the activities of the Gulf Coast Future Issues Council (GCFIC), a non-profit corporation organized as a coordination center of community research, forecasting, trend analysis, and educational activities. After introductory material that highlights the role of the…

This paper outlines aspects of a community education project, which involved the Community College of Allegheny County (CCAC) and other educational institutions and community service agencies in Pittsburgh in the provision of adult and continuing education and adult and family recreation programs. After section I provides background information on…

Missouri requires the testing of all eighth grade students on their competence in reading and language arts, mathematics, and government and economics. This statewide assessment is referred to as the Missouri Basic Essential Skills Test (BEST) and has been given in the spring of each year since 1978. A study was undertaken to determine which…

The supplement and ditto packet to the social science strand of unit six for second graders contains materials for both group activities and seatwork for individual students. Based on the theme of the neighborhood as a community, the visual materials can be used to help stimulate oral language and conceptual development. Pictures of businesses,…

This report summarizes the findings of a 2-year longitudinal study of a number of aspects of the effects of television on three small Canadian communities, one of which began receiving broadcasts for the first time during the study. The three communities were roughly matched for population (650-870 people), population of areas served by the towns,…

This booklet for educational and training planners is designed to increase understanding of labor market processes and thus to improve vocational education planning. As model illustrations, two local Massachusetts projects are described. The Worcester model, presented in chapter 1, is used by Boston University's Regional Manpower Institute to…

Rural school districts face nearly insurmountable obstacles to implementing the comprehensive special education programs mandated by PL 94-142, Education for All Handicapped Children Act. In order to identify workable strategies for rural special education delivery, a survey was conducted among state and local education agencies in 19 states…

A community assessment questionnaire was developed at Worthington Community College (WCC) to determine sources of information about WCC, attitudes toward and knowledge of WCC, educational needs and interests, how WCC's service population could best be served, and respondent characteristics. A total of 200 people in six population centers were…

This study explored the effect of community background on the development of adolescent ambition, using longitudinal interviews to probe subjects' own definitions and evaluations of progress toward the "good life." Sixty high ability working class youths from three New England towns varying in size, urban proximity, and social class…

The last of a three-part series developed to enhance the junior high school curriculum by adding real-life career oriented processes, the document provides further career exploration experiences for the ninth grade student. The units include the building of a house to scale and interdisciplinary activities to locate the family and the home in a…

As the first of 2 volumes reporting research on the social and educational development of 10 rural school districts prior to their involvement in the Experimental Schools program, this book is concerned with the impact of history on comprehensive educational improvement. Present 6 of the 10 histories, this volume includes: Craig, Alaska; Wilcox,…