Corn clubs played an important role in improving agriculture at the turn of the 20th century. Corn clubs were local organizations consisting of boys who cultivated corn on one acre of land under the supervision of a local club leader. The purpose of this historical research study was to document the organization, operation, and outcomes of corn…

One method to develop leaders is through leadership development programs designed specifically for an intended context. The International Leadership Association (ILA) provides questions for designing programs such programs. This article reflects data collected during the process of developing a leadership program serving the broader agricultural…

Needs assessment is the first step in developing a leadership education program. During the spring of 2008 researchers and program planners conducted focus groups sessions with representatives from Virginia's agricultural community with the goal of assessing the leadership development interests and needs of that community. As one focus group…

The WAC director, composition director, director of Institutional Assessment (OIA), and WAC/OIA liaison describe the programmatic "needs" and "wants" they balanced in the plan they collaboratively designed to respond to a state mandate for "value-added" writing assessment. To satisfy this mandate, as they explain,…

These standards and objectives provide a new impetus for improving public education by placing emphasis on educational planning. Required by the new Constitution of Virginia, standards for personnel, instructional materials, program, and systemwide planning and management are established in conjunction with rules and regulations for their…

This document contains abstracts from 28 exemplary vocational guidance and counseling projects funded in Virginia during the 1980-81 school year. Of the projects included, nine are designed to increase vocational guidance and counseling for adults, ten are developed to increase vocational guidance and counseling services for handicapped persons,…

This document outlines long-range plans for Virginia's Head Start program. The first section provides an introduction to the Head Start program, including a program description and information on eligibility, funding, and children served. Next, Virginia's Head Start program is covered, including a program description and information on…

This report discusses the goals, activities, and recommendations of the Employer Child Care Development Council. An increasing number of businesses in Fairfax county, Virginia are offering some type of child care service as an employee benefit. In January 1987, the Board of Supervisors established the Employer Child Care Development Council as a…

This publication is one of a series designed to inform and assist those responsible for foreign language instruction, including teachers, administrators, supervisors, and those engaged in teacher education. The complete series serves as a curriculum guide. The format of the series is such that it can be revised so as to keep materials current.…

This administrative guide was developed to provide local school divisions and other agencies operating federally funded Adult Basic Education (ABE) programs in Virginia with the purpose, requirements, and procedures for conducting these programs. The guide is divided into eleven sections. The introduction covers the purpose and scope of ABE…

A project described and examined the status of secondary trade and industrial (T&I) education in Virginia and made recommendations to improve such programs. Statewide enrollment data were retrieved for the school years 1986-87 through 1992-93. Questionnaires gathered concerns and recommendations of public school personnel about T&I…

A study was conducted to examine federally assisted employment and training programs in the Tidewater, Virginia, area during fiscal year 1977. The General Accounting Office found forty-four programs with similar goals attempting to assist virtually the same people. These were authorized through sixteen separate legislative authorities, creating a…

The implementation and results of a project to optimize the learning program at Wytheville Community College are discussed. A systems approach to instruction was selected as the best method of assuring continuing improvement of the teaching/learning process, the productivity of the college, and, ultimately, the long-range goals of the college. An…

This publication combines four sets of guidelines developed in 1980 to give direction to guidance program development in the public schools of Virginia. It consists of loose-leaf sheets color-coded according to whether the items are applicable at all levels (white), for elementary school guidance (beige), for middle schools (blue) or for secondary…

The article describes how a Virginia urban school system implemented an outcome-oriented work transition process with approximately 230 trainable or severely/profoundly handicapped students (ages 16-21). The article describes the system, students, and staff; developing a formal transition process; the individualized transition plan; and the job…