A study of bus transportation was conducted by the Department of Business at Central Michigan University to determine the feasibility of centralizing the transportation function of the seven rural schools in the COOR Intermediate School District in Michigan, who, at the time of the study, operated their own transportation systems. Investigation…

In rural Minnesota many school districts are limited in their efforts to restructure by low enrollment, rural geographic location, meager tax base, narrow staff experience, extensive job responsibilities for staff, restricted staff development opportunities, and lack of direction in curriculum coordination. Because of actual or perceived…

Boards of Cooperative Educational Services (BOCES) provide cost-effective shared services to New York's rural districts. Services in career and technical education and staff development offered by the Steuben-Allegany BOCES are described. Future plans include increased cooperation with colleges in providing adult education, evolution of the…

Thanks to the economies of scale inherent in networks of education services agencies (ESAs), these agencies can provide small rural schools with access to programs, services, and technical assistance that otherwise might be unavailable. Typical core services of ESAs, historic roots, evaluation of ESAs in Iowa and Texas, and trends in ESA funding…

Basic needs of children and youth which cannot be provided by small rural schools could be realized by combining the resources and pupils of a number of local districts. Four types of organization are presented as possibilities for providing cooperative educational services: (1) autonomous districts with line functions; (2) semi-autonomous…

This paper presents a rationale for developing computer-based information systems for use by the special education personnel of a consortium composed of 13 rural school districts, and outlines a three-function database that would meet the operational requirements of administrative and clinical staff and the informational needs of parents and the…

A GROUP OF MORE THAN 80 BUSINESSMEN AND INDUSTRIAL LEADERS (LITTLE HOOVER COMMISSION) CONDUCTED A STUDY OF OHIO SCHOOL DISTRICTS AND RECOMMENDED ACCELERATED REORGANIZATION AND CONSOLIDATION AS A MEANS OF IMPROVING EDUCATIONAL QUALITY. IN ORDER TO IMPLEMENT THE COMMISSION'S RECOMMENDATIONS, HOWEVER, IT WILL BE NECESSARY TO DISPEL SEVERAL MYTHS. THE…

According to this 1967-68 evaluation report, the Educational Service Center (ESC)--funded under Title III of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act--provided on-demand services to 29 northern, central, and western New Mexico school districts. In the document, 9 tables show the distribution and variety of ESC assistance in the areas of…

Duties of 46 county school superintendents in Oklahoma were analyzed and educational benefits of statutory provisions and additional activities were evaluated. Questionnaires, telephone and personal interviews, and on-site visits provided data. Statutory duties were found to be present in each superintendent's report and to be mostly clear and…

The benefits of regional cooperation among small rural school districts are stressed in this brief description of the Educational Cooperative Service Unit (ECSU) currently serving 63,800 students in 104 member districts. A section on historical background traces the ECSU's forerunners, e.g., an educational media center established in 1965, the…

The document discussed the functions of intermediate educational units their relation to rural schools, and the unique needs of rural schools. Chapter I traced the development of the American school system from its inception in colonial America to contemporary times. Characteristics of America's rural population were identified and briefly…

Uses data from New York State's Board of Cooperative Education Services (BOCES) to examine the interaction of rural school district size and wealth factors with BOCES size and wealth as they relate to expenditure levels for service provision. Findings suggest that opportunities available to districts through regional educational service agencies…

This book examines the role of the educational service agency (ESA) in the process of enabling and facilitating rural school improvement. The introductory chapter discusses the continuing significance of rural education, service to rural districts as an explicit reason for establishing ESAs, and the characteristics of several types of ESAs.…

Opportunities abound for educational service agencies (ESAs) to assist rural schools districts with implementing the No Child Left Behind Act. Strategies that ESAs could pursue are presented for critical issues in the areas of school-community relationships, school roles in rural development, funding, standard setting, school size, facility…

Teaching students who receive special education services in integrated settings requires intensive staff development and on-going training. Region 16 Education Service Center in the Texas panhandle serves 65 rural school districts covering 25,000 square miles and 80,000 students. In 1996, with direction and funding from the state legislature,…