Rural communities face incredible challenges and emerging opportunities. Land-grant universities are well-positioned to assist by developing new approaches to inspire university students to become civically engaged, rural community members. With this aim, the Rural Scholars program at Oklahoma State University was developed as an opportunity for…

This study examines the ethics and politics of knowledge across 15 distinctive community-engaged research projects. We focus our analysis on interviews with community partners and consider their perceptions of research, academic research partners, motivations for partnering, and the benefits and challenges of community-engaged research. We…

Inclusive postsecondary education (PSE) programs at institutes of higher education offer a variety of benefits to students with intellectual disabilities (ID). Although the number of these programs has grown in recent years, many students -- particularly those from diverse backgrounds -- remain underserved. This study investigated the perceptions…

There is consensus within child welfare services that the provision of timely and effective support to families in the community is of critical importance in terms of protecting children. "Family support" is a term used to refer to a broad range of activities aimed at supporting the functioning of families. It is generally accepted that…

Underage drinking is a widespread national problem that requires continuous attention from different agencies and groups in the community. This project was funded by a 50-member local coalition that included groups such as researchers, faith-based organizations, law enforcement, parents, schools, community college, university, local businesses,…

Recognizing that community acceptance of potential juvenile justice treatment programs often determines the success or failure of the programs, an assessment model was developed to assist in policy planning. The procedure applies the tenets and methods of subjective expectancy utility models. (Author/GK)

Study asks adult members (including elders) of a rural Paiute tribe in Nevada about issues affecting local youth for the purposes of determining program needs and developing and implementing new programs or program changes. Describes the role that agencies providing services to reservations can play in assisting Native American communities with…

The article explores the cultural context of a new bilingual education program in a small Southwestern town through the use of ethnographic research. The ethnographic perspective focuses on how a bilingual program can be seen as operating in the three fields of individual classrooms, school administration, and community. (Author/NQA)

This comprehensive, five-phased Needs Assessment Project brought together the collective input from the community, community leaders, current and former students, and the San Diego Community College District staff (faculty, administration, and support personnel). The purpose of the project was to develop valuable, objective input for the Board of…

Based on previous research on the influence of community context on the needs and concerns of first year teachers and on the implementation of induction program components, this study sought to determine the effects of the community context on the lives of beginning teachers as related to their teaching experience in the classroom. Data were…

This paper lists and tentatively assesses three experiments in preschool education in rural areas in France, and outlines the Massif Central development program which draws extensively on these experiments. In Experiment I, a peripatetic teacher worked with young children, concentrating on speech activities in four different single-class schools.…

Focusing on the experience of the Southwest Texas communities of Laredo, Del Rio, Crystal City, and Sonora, the politics of bilingual education were examined. Emphasis was on school-community relations and community response to bilingual education. Using an informal approach, the study sought to sharpen an understanding of the problems likely to…

A study was conducted at Northwestern Michigan College (NMC), in Traverse City, to evaluate the variables affecting the feasibility of distance education to meet the educational needs of the college's geographically isolated community. Data sources included a literature review and student, faculty/staff, and community opinion surveys conducted by…

In order to assess the felt needs and interests of the local population and business community relative to education and training, a survey was designed and implemented in the four-county area surrounding Waco, Texas. This volume, part one of a three part series documents the work done in developing and conducting the community needs assessment…

The Community Assessment System (CAS) is a research technique designed to probe small, rural community perceptions and attitudes toward planned economic expansion and social development by generating suggestions for general or specific community modifications; ascertaining community attitudes and possible responses to a specific modification;…