Search

This report analyzes changes in the number of distressed counties in Appalachia since 1960, identifies macroeconomic trends associated with distress in Appalachia, and examines socioeconomic factors associated with long-term distress as well as factors that predict whether a county moved out of distress. These data are also compared with similar data for the rest of the United States. The number of distressed Appalachian counties declined from 214 in 1960 to 78 in 1980, then rose to 106 in 1990. These trends mirror national trends. Full-employment policies and the initiation of large-scale federal poverty alleviation and economic development programs set the stage for major reductions in national distress levels. The shift toward anti-inflation policies and away from full-employment policies, and the long-term rise in household income and wage inequality were associated with rising distress levels nationally and regionally since the 1980s. Within Appalachia, factors associated with movement out of distressed status include a higher share of manufacturing employment, becoming part of a metropolitan area, more diversified economy, higher educational attainment, higher percentages of people living in urban areas, and ability to attract retirees as residents. Factors associated with persistent distress include higher shares of mining employment, minority populations, and children and elderly dependent populations, and dependence on government transfer payments. Policy implications are discussed. Appendices present distressed counties by year, maps, research methodology, and information about study data. (Contains 66 references.) (TD)

This document profiles successful projects designed to develop Appalachia's labor force, economy, and educational opportunities. The 86 project profiles provided are grouped by the following five goals that were established for the region by the Appalachian Regional Commission: (1) Appalachian residents will have the skills and knowledge necessary to compete in the world economy in the 21st century; (2) Appalachian residents will have the physical infrastructure necessary for self-sustaining economic development and improved quality of life; (3) the people and organizations of Appalachia will have the vision and capacity to mobilize and work together for sustained economic progress and improvement of their communities; (4) Appalachian residents will have access to financial and technical resources to help build dynamic and self-sustaining local economies; and (5) Appalachian residents will have access to affordable, quality health care. Included in the document are profiles of projects in the following states: Alabama, Georgia, Kentucky, Maryland, Mississippi, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia, and West Virginia. Each profile includes a brief description of the project's objectives, participants, major activities, and outcomes, as well as the name, postal address, phone number, and e-mail address of project contact people. (MN)

The 1964 Report of the President's Appalachian Regional Commission reinforced the popular image of Appalachia--low income, high poverty, limited education, poor living standards, job deficits, high unemployment, outmigration, stagnation, and decline. Current data indicate that conditions in Appalachia have improved greatly: the percentage of Appalachians in poverty declined; the percentage of adults who graduated high school jumped; housing units with complete plumbing, jobs per 100 people, numbers of jobs, and population increased. Appalachia has been catching up with the rest of the nation. Appalachian per capita income has reached 93 percent of the national level; Appalachian per capita income for nonmetropolitan areas is higher than that of the Southeast and Southwest regions of the United States; poverty rates are below Southeastern and Southwestern ones; employment growth is greater than in several U.S. regions; and Appalachia's population is growing faster than that of some other regions. However, the most rural, most isolated Appalachian counties have a lower per capita income and more people in poverty than such counties elsewhere. Central Appalachia has considerably higher poverty rates than the nation; Appalachia has lower educational attainment than the rest of the nation, especially in central Appalachia where only half of adults have graduated from high school; and Appalachia has fewer jobs per 100 people than the rest of the nation. Today fewer places in Appalachia fit the old images, but the realities of deprivation remain severe in parts of Appalachia. (TD)

A study identified 100 sub-regional concentrations of technology-related employment, research and development, and applied innovation within and immediately adjacent to the 406-county service area of the Appalachian Regional Commission (ARC). Among the findings are that Appalachia's technology sector is comparatively small but expanding, with most gains occurring in moderately technology-intensive sectors. The presence of industrial machinery, chemicals/plastics, and motor vehicles is more extensive in rural counties than information technology, communication services, and software. There is more high-tech activity in the northern and southern thirds of Appalachia, with activity in the central region very sparse. Appalachian metro areas have significantly fewer scientists, engineers, and technicians than the U.S. as a whole. There are six major research universities in Appalachia--their primary strengths are engineering and physical sciences, followed by life sciences. Industrial machinery is the most common technology focus in the area. There are many state-funded technology programs in the region, but few focus on the areas projected to grow in the next decade--information technology and biotechnology. Degree awards in computer and communications sciences by 2-year colleges are below the national average. Higher education institutions with an emphasis in technology are comparatively few in central Appalachia. Over half of the technology clusters are located in centers outside the region, meaning that Appalachia's high-tech prospects are heavily dependent on spillover effects from neighboring cities. Implications for policy are discussed. Fourteen appendices present lists related to classification and spatial concentrations. (Contains 58 references and 43 maps and figures.) (TD)

Fiscal year 1982 was transitional for the Appalachian Regional Commission (ARC), as it was the last year of the broad economic development program and a year of reduced funding and new limits on programs. In 1981, Congress had requested that ARC prepare a plan for completion of the Appalachian highway system and for a 3 to 5 year ARC finish-up development program. Activities under the last year of the traditional program included highway construction, a survey of local development districts (LDDs), the Alabama basic skills improvement program for elementary schools, and a Mississippi pilot project to upgrade training and development of vocational education teachers through inservice training. The finish-up program, begun at the end of fiscal 1982, included completion of 666 miles of highway, a regionwide jobs and private investment program, a health program for areas lacking basic health care or having high infant mortality rates, and a special program to aid the 67 most distressed and underdeveloped Appalachian counties. ARC received funding of $155 million for fiscal 1983. Report sections discuss objectives and activities, finances, and projects (by category); provide maps, county population change data, and program categories and funding for the 13 Appalachian states; and include an address list and map of Appalachian LDDs. (MH)

A system for evaluating and monitoring child development projects, with possible computerization capabilities, was developed for the State of Pennsylvania in connection with 26 child development projects funded by the Appalachian Regional Commission. The Ecological Monitoring Information System (EMIS), provides a series of ecological measurement tools and a baseline of data to conduct naturalistic child development studies in a highly controlled condition. Based on five years of research on the ecology of child development, it is concerned with group theory and with interactions of children in day care. Data compiled and standardized covered: (1) evaluation aspects, (2) medical components, (3) staff, parent and community background, (4) outreach, (5) public relations, (6) program administration and (7) social service components. Issues addressed include: the development of an effective measurement tool for Piaget's theory of cognitive development; adult-child interactions; cost analysis; peer group development; information and referral programs. The EMIS might be used on a regional, state or national level to collect data in making decisions about child care. The system has the capability of adoption to group day care, family day care, information and referral programs and others. Included in the document are flow sheets, sample letters, tables, graphs, and data sheets. (BF)

This report of a 13-state conference on the needs of young children in the Appalachian region examines present conditions and changes over the past decade. The conference was organized around three central questions: (1) what are the needs of Appalachian children for healthy development? (2) how do existing child development programs meet these needs? and (3) what do Appalachian programs need in order to improve their delivery of services? Conference recommendations include: emphasis on early intervention, with recognition of family context and cultural background; development of manpower, including administrative manpower; greater utilization of public information resources to obtain financial support; development of information and referral systems; improvement of communication among programs and states; establishment of a network for legislative information; development of a data base on needs and services; and an increase in parent involvement. Included with the text are tables of data on health manpower, employment and per capita income for the region, as well as information on a variety of projects funded from several sources. Appendices include suggested fundraising and proposal writing procedures and a series of charts showing the distribution of health care personnel, nutrition services, and infant mortality rates in the Appalachian area. (BF)

The dearth of innovative instructional resources has been a key reason for inadequacy of learning opportunities in the New York Appalachian region, particularly in occupational education. Project 81 was formulated to organize a regional approach to the use of new instructional media materials for occupational education through increasing the acquisition and use of videocassettes. The necessary hardware and opportunities for training were also provided. The evaluation began with a pre-survey in the fall of 1975 which estimated baseline utilization of media by staff. Data were collected on use of individual program materials throughout the evaluation period, and a final evaluation was completed in June 1976. This last survey produced a clear picture of the project's success. The diffusion of large quantities of videocassette equipment and materials resulted in a significant increase in teacher adoption and utilization. (WBC)

Covering the 1976 fiscal year and the one-time transition quarter of July 1, 1976 through September 30, 1976, this annual report on the Appalachian Regional Commission (ARC) presents narrative and tabular data re: (1) A Year of Strengthening the Partnership (highlights on the Federal, state, and local partnership which constitutes ARC); (2) Growth (transportation, housing and community development, and enterprise development); (3) Human Services (health, education, and child development); (4) The Land (energy, environment, and natural resources); (5) Development at the Local Level; (6) Finances; (7) Appendices (project totals approved; population, labor force, unemployment, and income statistics; and local development district list and map). Among the 1976 highlights reported here are: the strengthening of the development and planning process via more tightly controlled state planning, increased local participation, and preparation for development of a regional plan; extension of the nonhighway programs through fiscal year 1979 and the highway programs through fiscal year 1981; development of areawide action programs among 50% of the local development districts; preparation of "Questions for Appalachia", a preliminary document re the regional plan that identifies conditions and issues; a resolution coming out of the energy symposium to accelerate roadway construction essential to energy resource transportation. (JC)

The Appalachian Regional Commission, established by the 1965 Appalachian Regional Development Act, has as its overall goal the economic and social development of the region. The program brings together the more than 18 million Appalachian citizens and local, State, and Federal governments in a cooperative effort to build a better life. In 1973, there were some temporary setbacks from natural disasters but overall advances for the Appalachian development program. This annual report focuses on what has been accomplished by the Commission during 1973, also discussing its organization and development strategy. Innovations and the current status of finances, employment, population, income, transportation, education, environment, health, child development, and housing are specific areas of concern. The appendices list the Appalachian population, approved projects, expenditures by State, and local development districts. (NQ)

Created via the Regional Development Act of 1965, the Appalachian Regional Commission documents its contributions to Appalachian socioeconomic development in this 1974 annual report. General areas of concern are identified as: (1) extension of public services to outlying areas; (2) improvement of public service quality and quantity; (3) promotion of responsible energy development; and (4) extension of local developmental responsibilities. Detailed data are provided for the following specific areas of concern: The Region and the Appalachian Experiment; The Federal-State-Local Partnership; The New Subregions; Population, Income, and Employment; Finances; Transportation; Supplemental Grants; Health; Child Development; Education; Community Facilities and Housing; Energy, Environment, and Natural Resources; and Research and Planning. Among some of the more noteworthy accomplishments cited for 1974 are: a shift from outmigration to inmigration; completion of 150 corridor miles of highway construction; acquisition of funding for comprehensive health services in 389 counties; operation of 233 child development projects and vocational education facilities with a capacity for 310,000 students; and appropriation of $37,000,000 for supplemental grants to vocational education schools, sewage treatment plants, colleges, libraries, and other public facilities. (JC)

The Appalachian Regional Commission, created via the Regional Development Act of 1965, documents a decade of contributions to Appalachian socioeconomic development in this 1975 annual report. Topics covered in this report include: the ten years of foundation building; the Region before 1965; the Region and the Appalachian Regional Commission; population, employment, and income; finances; transportation; energy, environment, and natural resources; health and child development; education; community development and housing; supplemental grants; research and planning. Cited as some of the Region's more noteworthy accomplishments during the past decade are: (1) a shift from out-migration to in-migration with an average annual in-migration of close to 60,000 people during the past 5 years; (2) a 41% decline in poverty level incomes between 1960 and 1970; (3) a gain of more than one million jobs between 1965 and 1973; (4) a rise in per capita income (from 78% of the national average in 1965 to 81% in 1973); (5) a 10% increase in the number of adults who had finished high school (1960-70); (6) an increase in the average number of physicians per 100,000 residents (92 physicians per 100,000 in 1963 and 100 physicians per 100,000 in 1971). The appendices describe projects for 1976 and name the local development districts. (JC)

This report presents the results of followup studies concerning participants' attitudes and reactions to two courses delivered during the experimental phase of the Appalachian Education Satellite Project (AESP). Graduate level teacher training was the objective of the courses, entitled Diagnostic and Prescriptive Reading Instruction and Career Education for Secondary Teachers. Participants were asked to indicate the extent to which they had been able to implement techniques taught in the courses and to react to various components of course structure and administration. The report also provides research methods including subject data and instrumentation, research conclusions, and effects of the study on subsequent course revisions. (Author/STS)

This report documents the Appalachian Education Satellite Project's (AESP) delivery of a continuing education course entitled 'Visual Learning' to 55 educators at 10 sites in Appalachia in Spring 1977. The course was intended to assist teachers in making more practical use of television in the classroom. Presented are: (1) a brief overview of the structure and history of AESP; (2) an overview of the Visual Learning course including course development, structure, content, and objectives; and (3) the methodology and results of the evaluation of course delivery. (Author/STS)

Congressional mandate in 1975 directed that the Appalachian Regional Commission conduct a study on (1) the status of Appalachian migrants living in the destinations to which they had moved; (2) current migration patterns and implications; and (3) past and potential impact of Commission programs on outmigration and welfare of Appalachian migrants. The study utilized data from the Social Security Administration's continuous work history sample for 1965-70 and 1970-75. A dramatic reversal of migration occurred in the periods examined: between 1965-70 the Appalachian Region had a net loss from migration of 400,000 people; between 1970-75 the region had a net growth of 810,000 people with 300,000 migrating into the area. Outmigration dropped from 1.6 million in 1965-70 to 1.4 million in 1970-75. Apparently economic gains within the region during the second time period made outmigration less desirable. For both periods males had the highest inmigration and outmigration ratios. Outmigration seemed to produce favorable results, for most of the migrants made significant income and status gains relative to those who remained in Appalachia, with earnings in the destination regions rising rather quickly to the average of the new area. Evidence indicated that Appalachian migrants have received the health, education, and other services that enable them to compete successfully in their new settings. (DS)

The Appalachian Regional Commission (ARC), established by Congress in 1965, is a unique partnership of federal, state, and local government action attempting to provide every person living in the region with the health and skills needed to compete in everyday life and to attract new industry to the region, thus providing more jobs and a more diversified economic base. The ARC believes that with the further help of its programs, the region can continue to capitalize on its 14 years of progress. In support of this position, this report organizes information into four sections. Section I describes regional conditions in the areas of jobs, population, income, health, education, housing and community facilities and outlines ARC principles. Section II explains the ARC partnership, 1975 Amendments to the Appalachian Regional Development Act, and its planning process. Section III presents data on the six categories of ARC's functional programs: highways; community services and business development; human services; natural resources, environment and energy; Commission and state research; and local development district administrative support. Section IV contains drafts of the proposed 1978 Amendments to the Appalachian Regional Development Act and the Balanced Growth and Regional Development Act of 1978. Appendices furnish related statistics, maps, bibliographies and trends. (NEC)

Narrative text, tables, maps, and photographs present an overview of the Appalachian Regional Commission's (ARC) activities in fiscal year 1980, past achievements, and future goals. Major accomplishments of 1980 include: allocation of almost $13 million for 1,023 nonhighway projects; completion or construction of almost 60% of the Appalachian Development Highway System; sponsorship of a regional energy conference on the increased use and production of coals; and Appalachian governors voting to allocate priority funding for projects in the areas of greatest need (infant mortality, basic education skills, energy, and housing). Part I highlights regional history, ARC structure, and achievements over the past 16 years in transportation, enterprise development, health, education, child development, housing, community development, energy, environment, natural resources, and finances. Part II examines fiscal 1980 and presents maps, county population change data, program categories, amounts, and sources of funding for each of the 13 Appalachian states. A directory provides local development district addresses. (NEC)

Narrative text, tables, maps, and photographs present an overview of the Appalachian Regional Commission's (ARC) activities in fiscal year 1979, past achievements, and future goals. Major accomplishments of 1979 include: utilization of the $233 million appropriation for highway construction; approval of over $143 million in ARC funds for 985 projects in areas such as health, child development, vocational education, community development, energy, environment, natural resources, housing, research, and technical assistance; conducting a regionwide conference on ARC programs for children and families; planning a regionwide conference on utilization of Appalachian coal resources; completing Congressionally mandated studies on medical indigency and natural hazards; and establishing an advisory committee on cultural resources. Part I describes, program by program, the plan that ARC has followed over its 15-year history in attempting to revitalize the Region's economic and social development. Chapters summarize projects in the areas of transportation, enterprise development, health, education, child development, housing, community development, energy, environment, natural resources, and finances. Part II examines fiscal 1979 and presents maps, county population change data, program categories, amounts, and sources of funding for each of the 13 Appalachian states. A directory provides local development district addresses. (NEC)

This summary describes the development of the Appalachian Community Service Network (ACSN), an educational cable television network that was originally launched as an experimental demonstration in the use of the latest telecommunications for the delivery of educational services. In describing how the stage was set for the eventual development of ACSN, the first chapter reviews the program's original funding as the Appalachian Education Satellite Project (AESP) by the National Institute of Education through a grant to the Appalachian Regional Commission (ARC) in the early 1970s. Individual sections focus on the AESP experiment, which began with 15 receive sites in 8 Appalachian states; the plan for its transition into an expanded, self-sustaining organization; and the use of the NASA (National Aeronautics and Space Administration) ATS-6 communications satellite. The second chapter traces the development of ACSN into an independent, nonprofit organization using a commercial satellite to provide 3,300 hours of programming annually to a nationwide audience, and the changes for the organization produced by the addition of cable television distribution. A look at ACSN and the future discusses its new name, ACSN-The Learning Channel, and its business plan, program services, program syndication, and corporate development. (LMM)

Intended to provide a comprehensive picture of the Appalachian Community Service Network (ACSN), this report documents its evolution from a federally funded regional educational experiment to a nonprofit corporation delivering educational and informational programming via commercial satellite to cable subscribers across the nation; ACSN's changing objectives, organizational structure and programming emphasis in response to the commercial marketplace; and the corporation's plans to capitalize on foreseeable opportunities. A general, interpretative account is given of the background history of the Appalachian Educational Satellite Project (AESP) experiment, which supplied graduate credit courses to teachers located in remote areas of the Appalachian region using an experimental NASA (National Aeronautics and Space Administration) satellite from 1972 to 1975. The maintenance, refinement, and expansion of the original mission of AESP from 1976 to 1978 are described, including the development of a strong research and evaluation program to guide network operations. The incorporation of ACSN in 1979 as an independent agency is documented, and it is noted that the network provided 64 hours per week of programming to more than 1.5 million homes in 42 states in 1982. A look at current needs and problems and speculations on the future of the network conclude the report. A number of exhibits and appendices are included. (LMM)

The Appalachian Regional Commission (ARC) used its $105 million appropriation for fiscal year 1987 to support three major program areas in the 13 state region: (1) creating and retaining regional jobs; (2) assisting in construction of basic facilities, particularly water and sewer systems, in the region's 90 poorest counties; and (3) working toward completion of the Appalachian Development Highway System. Economic and human resource development activities focused on community infrastructure, vocational training, assistance to small businesses, and "regional program initiatives," a new category. This latter category included support for 63 school dropout prevention projects; 31 adult literacy programs; educational programs promoting entrepreneurship; education programs tailored to the needs of specific business sectors; health care services for rural and indigent populations; and technology transfer projects addressing industrial obsolescence or new employment opportunities. ARC compiled and analyzed social and economic data on the region, by county, and supported studies to identify areas that could be strong regional research and development centers and also to: assess the effect of changes in the Medicare payment system on rural hospitals; study medical indigence; analyze the economic development potential of continuing care retirement communities; and evaluate education reform undertaken in rural and small school districts since 1983. The report includes details on appropriations and distribution of funding by project type and by state; state and regional maps; a directory of local development districts; and county population change data. (SV)

The Appalachian Regional Commission used its $120 million appropriation for fiscal year 1986 to create and retain jobs under the jobs and private investment program, provide basic public facilities to the worst-off Appalachian counties under the distressed counties program, and to work toward closing the gaps in the Appalachian Development Highway System that carry the highest volume of traffic and are most critical to economic development. Efforts to make traditional industries more competitive, improve support for homegrown businesses, and enhance the quality of the Region's educational facilities included testing a new steelmaking process, surveying over 1,500 new Pennsylvania businesses, and training adult literacy tutors. Typical of the 36 projects funded in distressed counties were sewage system upgrades and water tank construction. Technical assistance activities included studies of regional economic competitiveness, effects of oil price changes on Appalachian coal demand, substituting coal for coke, and strategies for Appalachian educational institutions to diffuse technology. Sections of this report cover financial support and distribution of funding by project type and by state. State and regional maps, county population change data, and a directory of local development districts are included. (NEC)

During 1970, the Appalachian Regional Development Program completed its 5th year of operations. Authorized under the 1965 Appalachian Regional Development Act, the program tries to cooperatively promote Appalachia's future economic and social development through a phased series of public investments to improve education, health, transportation, housing, community development, and conservation of natural resources. This 1970 annual report discusses Appalachia today, the history of financing of the program, the structure and operation of the Regional Commission, State districts, local districts, and priorities in the region's 4 geographic areas. Goals and strategies are given for urban and rural growth, future employment, and investment objectives. Additionally, health needs and skill development, education, transportation, housing and community development, and environmental and resource projects are discussed. The chapter covering educational programs explains vocational education, educational cooperatives, higher education, and manpower development. The Appendices include population by county, a bibliography of Commission publications, demonstration health programs, vocational education facilities, supplements to Federal Grants-in-Aid, local development districts, and expenditures by State. (KM)