Curriculum consortia composed of small, rural school districts can overcome professional isolation, better meet state accreditation standards, improve decision making, better attract external funding, and strengthen sense of community through the development of professional relationships. Describes how consortia are organized and developed and…

Small schools may resist educational reform because they view the implementation of change as too costly and time consuming. Formation of a consortium of small schools allows the pooling of staff and resources, thereby increasing capabilities while maintaining the positive attributes of small schools. In rural northeastern Oregon, eight small…

This book brings together essays written by higher education professionals that provide practical and theoretical advice on the academic, financial, administrative, legal, personnel, and student aspects of college mergers. Together, the contributors set forth an action plan for those involved in planning and implementing such mergers, and outline…

This handbook reports on the use of consortia-appointed curriculum directors for meeting small, rural school districts' curriculum renewal needs. It is based on interviews with individuals involved with consortia in five Western U.S. case-study sites. Limited resources in rural schools often hinder curriculum-renewal efforts. If several districts…

To find vocational education curriculum materials, educators can contact their State Liaison Representative (SLR) to the National Network for Curriculum Coordination in Vocational and Technical Education (NNCCVTE), regional Curriculum Coordination Center (CCC), state vocational education resource center (SVERC), and/or one of the consortia that…

Because of increased demands for curriculum expertise and constricted funding, many small rural elementary schools in the United Kingdom have created consortia, allowing groups of schools to share resources and facilities and cooperatively plan for meeting educational standards. Describes cluster development and concludes that loss of school…

The Student Assessment Consortium (SAC), a collaboration between the Center for Research on Evaluation, Standards, and Student Testing and the Council of Chief State School Officers, was created to facilitate innovative assessment work in several subject areas. Its purpose is to share expertise and information about the development of innovative…

In an effort to increase the effectiveness of international studies and to improve resource sharing among institutions, Kalamazoo Valley Community College (KVCC), in Michigan, has created a consortium for international studies and foreign languages among 15 Michigan community colleges and Michigan State University (MSU). The consortium was funded…

The application and effectiveness of interinstitutional cooperative approaches to academic program development are analyzed, with attention to local, regional, and interstate geographic levels. The rationale for interinstitutional cooperation as well as actions taken by state governing boards to promote the use of this planning strategy within…

This directory profiles the following 16 vocational education consortia: American Association for Vocational Instructional Materials; Applied Communication; Applied Mathematics; Consortium for the Development of Professional Materials for Vocational Education; Electric Utility Instructor Training Consortium; Marketing Education Resource Center;…

This guide, which lists some of the main sources of existing instructional materials and resources, is intended for use by individuals seeking appropriate materials for inclusion in vocational and technical education and training programs. The following are covered in the individual sections of the guide: international organizations, national…

This paper offers a brief history and description of a voluntary consortium of six church-related private colleges, the Associated Colleges of Central Kansas (ACCK), that is governed by a board of directors made up of the presidents of the member colleges. The schools, all within close geographical proximity, have a combined enrollment of over…

Vocational educators seeking curriculum materials, lesson plans, classroom activities, and other instructional materials can locate them in a variety of places. The ERIC database is a good source of information about the following instructional and resource materials: curricula, project descriptions, lesson plans, classroom activities, task lists,…

The papers in this collection describe partnership programs and projects involving Kalamazoo Valley Community College (KVCC) in Michigan. The first paper, "The Arcadia Commons Partnership: The Community College and Economic Redevelopment," by Marilyn Schlack, describes the Arcadia Commons, a business-education park in downtown Kalamazoo,…