Context: Founded in 1971 with state funding to increase the number of primary care physicians in rural Minnesota, the Rural Physician Associate Program (RPAP) has graduated 1,175 students. Third-year medical students are assigned to primary care physicians in rural communities for 9 months where they experience the realities of rural practice with…

Reports are given on the use of computers in elementary and secondary schools in five states. An analysis of the reports discusses various educational trends and implications evolving from computer use, including misapplied technology and the proper amount of learning and teaching via computers. (CJ)

Reasons for the importance of using technology in education and problems encountered by Minnesota schools in maximizing the potential of modern technology are discussed in the introduction to this report, which also summarizes actions taken by the state legislature to support technology utilization, inservice training for the use of technology,…

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…

In 2004, nearly 30,000 students were included in the blind or visually impaired (B/VI) category (approximately .04% of the total public school population). This figure, however, only includes children and youth for whom blindness or visual impairment is identified as a primary disability. States indicate that these numbers may actually double or…

Policy briefs are reports on the status of current issues in education from a national perspective; descriptions of actions and agendas in the North Central Regional Educational Laboratory (NCREL) region; and commentaries by experts from their particular point of view; and resources for further information. The focus of this report is technology…

This report highlights services and programs of the Minnesota Higher Education Services Office that provide access to postsecondary education, noting efforts to provide services efficiently through increased use of technology and collaborations. After an introduction which discusses the Office's functions, nine sections examine: (1) "Student…

This collection of reports highlights the status of educational telecommunications in 13 western states during 1991. Topics addressed include distance education initiatives in Alaska; activities by members of the Arizona Education Telecommunications Cooperative, including colleges, public schools, and government agencies; groups active in the…