The National Commission on Excellence in Education has challenged educators across the nation to drastically change the course of education during the 1980s. While rural educators share the desire to provide excellence in education, the Commission and the United States Department of Education must recognize the unique characteristics of rural…

This publication is fifth in a series of technical assistance papers intended to assist Federal agency personnel in the design and implementation of executive personnel management programs. This document focuses primarily upon team building, one of a variety of techniques of organization development designed to improve the way in which work is…

Using the mailing list of the "Ohio Farmer," a 1979 mail survey assessed attitudes toward land use controls, pollution, and farm living, and examined various agricultural practices of Ohio's farmers (N=623). Farmers were found to have extensive agricultural training in the form of farm work experiences, as well as formal agricultural…

This first volume of the 1981 Report of the Select Panel for the Promotion of Child Health presents the panel's major findings and recommendations in several areas of maternal and child health. Section I, the Introduction, addresses five major concerns related to health care that were identified by the panel. These concerns were (1) that programs…

Improvement is needed in services offered by the Comprehensive Employment and Training Act (CETA) and the U.S. Employment Service programs to give designated classes of Armed Forces veterans special treatment. This finding is based on reviews of six city programs and national program data. "Special treatment," although required, was not…

By law the Mississippi Commission on School Accreditation has the primary responsibility for assuring the quality of elementary and secondary education programs in the state. The Commission finds its role as one of validation and process evaluation according to established procedures. Recently, the state legislature mandated the establishment of…

The leaders' guide on the unit for American Indian adults, "Ideas for Planning," (ED 158 938) contains learning activities and background information based on girls' units "Just for You" and "Marriage--Expectations or Reality." The unit has the following objectives: (1) adults will become aware of attitudes affecting…

The history of international exchange and training programs conducted by a score of federal agencies over the past thirty years compels the conclusion that, while there remain meaningful opportunities to develop closer coordination, there are also important inherent limitations. This report seeks to clarify both. What is needed to perfect…

The recent, widespread trend toward rural migration can create disturbances in the organization of the host community by overloading community services and by creating conflict between oldtimers and newcomers. To obtain information about community disturbances and migration in Michigan, questionnaires were sent to a random sample of 21,792…

Dealing with an analysis and evaluation of community action programs (provided for by the Economic Opportunity Act of 1964) in Appalachia, this report presents 3 conditions for program success: (1) adequate community action leadership at the local level; (2) power holders at the community, county, or "local" level who are sympathetic, or…

A report on the Guaranteed Student Loan Amendments (H.R. 14070) to Title IV of the Higher Education Act of 1965 considers the problems behind and implications of the loan program. Chief among the problems are the default rate, access to loans, the schools as lenders, and the role of the states in administering the program. Changes recommended…

The problems associated with small villages are among the most difficult in Dutch physical planning, for they encompass the support of minimum social services in small towns and villages; the preservation of areas of ecological and scenic value; the acommodation of a growing population desirous of a home in the country or continued country living;…

Describes PLEXUS, an expert system for information retrieval related to gardening, designed at the University of London for use in public libraries. Focusing on the semantic problems encountered, methods used in artificial intelligence and information science to resolve them are discussed, including classification and facet analysis. (Author/LRW)

Focuses on the role of African universities in national development and outlines economic and political problems hindering them from realizing their role. Suggests ways to improve the universities' effectiveness including greater cooperation between universities and government agencies, upgrading of curriculum, and basing university appointments…

Discusses the current plan to introduce computer literacy into Soviet schools; examines the resources needed (hardware, software, personnel) to carry out the plan; examines the directions Soviet research on educational applications of computers is likely to take; and looks at factors that may influence the success of the program. (EM)