Rural communities are often plagued with socioeconomic challenges that contribute to family vulnerability and developmental challenges. Family Development Programs is a course that provides learning experiences related to rural community issues and family interactions with an opportunity to review programs that are provided within the region.…

Interviews, record reviews, student follow-up, achievement tests, survey instruments, and observation were used to gather data for the 1986/87 evaluation of the Topeka (Kansas) Educable Mentally Handicapped (EMH) Program. Strengths of the program were identified and included: a dedicated, well-trained staff; a good special education/regular…

This study of a Kansas program, Project BRIDGE (Building Relationships Is Definitely Good Education), examined the relationship of a parent liaison contact with families of students with emotional disabilities and the students' classroom behavior and academic achievement. Parent liaison logs of 25 students attending a special day school program…

This paper examines the use of telecommunications in rural schools in the United States as a solution to the problems teachers face when they have small classes, five or six class preparations daily, extracurricular duties, and inadequate training for specific classes. Telecommunications in schools in Minnesota and Kansas and a Star Schools Model…

The program review process in Kansas Regent's institutions was studied, based on Guba's three policy types: policy-in-intention (statements about policy); policy-in-implementation (behaviors/activities found in the process of implementing policy); and policy-in-experience (constructions/perceptions of individuals as they experienced the policy…

General educators' perceptions, attitudes, and beliefs towards gifted learners and education of the gifted at both elementary and secondary levels in small, rural schools were examined. Eighteen teachers from a rural K-12 Kansas district having 518 students completed questionnaires during summer 1985 and during the 1985-86 school year, and the…

"The Politics and Process of Evaluation and Decision Making in the Schools: The Shawnee Mission, Kansas, Experience" and "Use of National Assessment Model for Classroom Evaluation" were two papers presented at the Regional Conference of the National Council for the Social Studies. The first paper concerned the development of an…

This paper reflects on lessons learned from the implementation of KAN Focus, a demonstration project to develop a system of care for children with severe emotional disturbance in rural southeast Kansas. It notes trends toward providing more and younger children with community-based support services which provide family centered services,…

To determine perceptions of school board members, teachers, and principals in rural schools about the quality of their educational programs, the type of preparation they had received in preservice programs, and the inservice opportunities available to them, responses to questionnaires from 2,028 teachers, 119 principals, and 113 school board…