Using a stratified random sample and real-time virtual focus group sessions, we evaluated the regional administrative model, addressing personnel supervision, program direction, financial management, and administrative leadership. We concluded that the regional administrative model remains a highly charged topic, there is no common understanding…

More research is needed to help states evaluate Extension delivery model alternatives. Given funding trends, access to all programs requires regional systems with county offices. The traditional county model provides access to an office but only to some programs. While there will be many differences, only states with specialized educators can make…

Public expectations are rising, and budgets are falling for many public services, including the Cooperative Extension System (CES). Economists suggest specialization of CES educators is one means of handling this dilemma. This article examines changes in the opportunities perceived by Minnesota educators of moving from a cluster-county form of…

A study of existing library service in Southeastern Minnesota resulted in the recommendation that a Southeastern Library Cooperative (SELCO) be formed under a contractual, federated basis. The cooperative would consist of all public libraries in the region who meet the current requirements for eligibility for state aid funds. It was recommended…

The final technical report of the Great Lakes Regional Resource Center summarizes special education activities in five major areas: state program development, educational appraisal, educational programing, sharing resources, and project accountability and administration. Explained are project goals of enhancing development, demonstration,…

Cost estimates provided by cataloging vendors during January 1981 are analyzed to identify the costs of catalog conversion options and alternatives to the card catalog for six Minnesota regional library systems. Following an executive summary of the study is a discussion of its background, scope, objectives, data gathering methodology, and…

Two evaluation projects conducted for the Minnesota Agricultural Extension Service are examined from a user-focused perspective: (1) a needs assessment of large scale commercial farmers for program development by the Office of Special Programs; and (2) a review of the extension programs in Nicollet County. Each incorporated the focus group method…

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…

The history, current issues and future potential of rural township government today were the central focus of a 1972 survey of 18 townships in 6 southwestern Minnesota counties. Survey methodology included personal interviews with both residents and township officers, mailed questionnaires, and attendance at board meetings of the Minnesota…

The regional approach to postsecondary education in Minnesota is discussed in this publication. A review of the regional approach is provided along with articles on the program's impact in specific regions. The primary goal of the regional centers in Rochester, the Iron Range, and Wadena is to meet regional needs more efficiently and effectively…

The benefits of regional cooperation among small rural school districts are stressed in this brief description of the Educational Cooperative Service Unit (ECSU) currently serving 63,800 students in 104 member districts. A section on historical background traces the ECSU's forerunners, e.g., an educational media center established in 1965, the…

This volume of the study discusses different examples of educational cooperation and includes descriptions of several specific forms of interagency cooperation that have been developed in different States. Special attention is devoted to models of educational networks, including information networks in California, Texas, and Massachusetts and…

The Multifunctional Resource Center for Bilingual Education at the University of Wisconsin, Madison is a federally funded program of training and technical assistance to schools, programs, and individuals involved in the education of limited-English-proficient (LEP) students. It provides services in six states: Iowa; Michigan; Minnesota; North…

Prepared for the state legislature, this document is intended to supply practical information to help law makers and educators better understand the planning processes and cooperative efforts that currently exist among the public schools in the 18 counties of southwest and central Minnesota. Parts One and Three describe the planning process that…

There is some evidence that regionalism in higher education is emerging as a move toward a middle-ground position between strict institutional autonomy and stronger statewide coordination. Most observers of contemporary postsecondary education agree that the challenge of the next decade will be to find mechanisms for coordination that can achieve…