This report synthesizes the experience-based ideas that emerged from small group interaction at the 16th annual Montana Rural Education Conference, which focused on the pros and cons of school district consolidation. Conferees first heard from panelists and speakers expressing a spectrum of positive and negative positions on the consolidation…

This paper describes a project to train service providers in replicating the Home Activity Program for Parents and Youngsters (HAPPY). HAPPY is a family-focused program developed to meet the educational needs of disabled children ages birth through 5 years in rural Nevada. Content of the training modules was developed from a review of literature…

Federal legislation for infants and toddlers with handicapping conditions and their families (Part H of Public Law 99-457) calls for a statewide system of coordinated, comprehensive early intervention services. The legislation calls for an Interagency Coordinating Council (ICC) to be appointed by the Governor of each state, to participate in the…

In-depth case studies were conducted in six states, concerning interagency service coordination in implementing Part H of Public Law 99-457, which calls for a comprehensive and coordinated system of service delivery to developmentally delayed infants and toddlers and their families. Major findings included: (1) states were unable to answer…

As part of a study to determine whether visual and manual response systems are correlated, 26 children between 40 and 51 months of age took part in visual and manual reaction time (RT) tasks. Subjects, whose RTs had previously been tested at 3 months of age, were tested in 1 of 2 conditions. In the first condition, subjects viewed pictures only…

A survey instrument developed in 1991 by the Massachusetts Job Council to ascertain basic information regarding funds spent on job training and to provide state policymakers with information about those being served and what services are being provided was used as a model to develop a program assessment instrument. The program assessment…

During 1990, a model of general education in which academic studies were challenged by a new vision of vocational preparation was pilot tested. Anticipated outcomes were a renovation of academic and vocational education through the interaction of collaborating teachers and an enriched form of vocational education. The pilot testing involved seven…

This paper outlines the issues involved in coordination of services provided under the 1990 amendments to the Carl Perkins Act with those provided under the Adult Education Act, Job Training Partnership Act, National Apprenticeship Act, Rehabilitation Act of 1973, and Wagner-Peyser Act. It presents questions that could be addressed to state and…

The key to success in Job Opportunities and Basic Skills Training (JOBS) programs is a philosophy of high expectations. The philosophy accommodates both client and societal concerns. Highlights of the philosophy include the following: respecting the client's goals; giving nonjudgmental acceptance, constant encouragement, and emotional support;…

The purpose of the conference reported in this document was to share recent information about the nature and effectiveness of school-linked services; policy options for implementing neighborhood projects involving elementary and middle schools and their surrounding communities in Dallas, Houston, Austin and San Antonio; and future prospects for…

The U.S. Department of Agriculture's Nutrition Education and Training Program (NET) provides nutrition information and instructional resources for children, parents, educators, and food service personnel. This document describes the evaluation methods of the NET Program in Texas in fiscal year 1991, reports evaluation results, and offers…

There are a number of approaches to the provision of services in the early childhood education field, one of which involves collaboration between organizations and individuals. This paper explores the challenges of collaboration as a strategy to expand and enrich early childhood services. Philosophical challenges involve: (1) facing the problem of…

A 10-week practicum intervention was designed to reduce deficiencies in 10 kindergarten children in southwest Florida with poor fine motor skills. The intervention consisted of daily instruction and weekly activity tests. Activities included drawing, tracing, cutting with scissors, pasting, molding with clay, various games, lacing, weaving, and…

This study examined the relationships between Vocational Adjustment Counselors (VACs) and Vocational Rehabilitation Counselors (VRCs) in Missouri and identified factors that are related to cooperative programming between special education and vocational rehabilitation. The population for the study consisted of all VACs (n=147), all state-federal…

This report examines the perceptions of rural Washington community leaders concerning community information needs and the role of communication technology. In-depth interviews were conducted with 34 leaders in 5 selected rural eastern Washington communities that had access to telecommunications education and information systems, and with 15…