While educators have long argued that when local schools are successful, local communities benefit; there's now clear evidence that is the case. A new report, "The Economic Benefits from Halving the Dropout Rate: A Boom to Businesses in the Nation's Largest Metropolitan Areas," released in January by the Alliance for Excellent Education…

This article describes Gateway Technical College's Horizon Center for Transportation Technology, located in Kenosha, Wisconsin, which was the product of collaboration with business and industry, community support and a U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) grant. The center, which opened this fall, is a prime example of a sustainable community…

Background: Although rural adolescents use of alcohol is at some of the highest rates nationally, rural adolescent alcohol use has not been studied extensively. This study examines how community attitudes and behaviors are related to adolescent drinking in rural environments. Methods: Data were gathered in 22 rural communities in the Upper Midwest…

The nature of support for one aspect of rural growth and development is investigated by examining attitudes toward a growth centers policy. (NQ)

Describes organization and outcomes of an activity that raised funds for the Green Bay Day Nursery in Wisconsin. (RJC)

Describes a telephone survey conducted to find out who, if any, of the cable subscribers in Trempealeau County (Wisconsin) were watching Trempealeau County Community Television, a local access cable channel, and which of those viewers were tuning in to programs produced by local Extension agents. (CT)

This information memorandum describes four acts enacted during the 1987-1988 session of the Wisconsin Legislature dealing with mental health issues: (1) 1987 Wisconsin Act 366, relating to commitment standards and procedures for and alternatives to involuntary commitment; (2) 1987 Wisconsin Act 367, relating to outpatient mental health treatment…

South Carolina's successful comprehensive school plan to develop and maintain public support for its school reform package, the Education Improvement Act, is offered in this paper, which focuses on the necessity of public support for successful reform. Key components of the plan are described, which include timing and public interest, state…

The theme of the Fall 1974 conference of the Wisconsin Association of Foreign Language Teachers was "Foreign Languages and the Changing Curriculum." The 250 teachers who attended were given a questionnaire aimed at identifying needs and areas of concern to foreign language teachers. They were asked to: (1) identify the most serious…

The study analyzed support patterns for two predominant "liberal" development strategies ("growth centers" and the consolidation of government services) among elites from communities in a largely underdeveloped rural region of Wisconsin. Analytic focus was twofold: (1) to assess overall levels of support among community elites,…

Parents served by the Madison, Wisconsin, Metropolitan School District were surveyed to gather information on parent employment and child care arrangements, and attitudes about the kinds of support that should be made available for school-age children. Also elicited were beliefs about the age when children could be safely left alone. A total of…

Studies of the amount of money spent by rural counties on General Assistance Programs identified three factors that contributed to the level of county support: the size of the population, local history of response to human needs, and the role of local public welfare and social service administrators. (JHZ)

A strong local economy which allows residents of a community to work and shop near their homes is perhaps the best safeguard against the threats of urban sprawl, economic stagnation, physical deterioration and loss of unique identity facing many small towns. Utilizing a six-phase process advocated by the University of Wisconsin-Extension,…

As part of a study of the quality of life in northwestern Wisconsin, 1974 sample populations (N=150 residents per county) from each of 5 Wisconsin counties (Bayfield, Douglas, Price, Taylor, and Washburn) were presented with a list of public service programs and asked if they should be "expanded", "kept the same", or "cut…

As part of a study of the quality of life in northwestern Wisconsin, 1974 sample populations (N=150 residents per county) from each of 4 west central counties (Dunn, Clark, Eau Claire, and Polk) were presented with a list of public service programs and asked if they should be "expanded", "kept the same", or "cut…