THE UMSSP - AN INNOVATIVE VENTURE.

A GRANT FROM THE FORD FOUNDATION WAS USED IN ESTABLISHING THE UPPER MIDWEST SMALL SCHOOLS PROJECT (UMSSP). THIS PROJECT INCLUDED FIFTEEN MEMBER SCHOOLS IN NORTH DAKOTA AND MONTANA. THE ORIGINAL OBJECTIVES WERE--(1) TO IDENTIFY POTENTIAL LEADERS IN RURAL EDUCATION, (2) TO PROVIDE ASSISTANCE AND ADDED MATERIALS TO DEVELOP THIS LEADERSHIP ROLE OF TEACHERS, AND TO ASSIST IN DEVELOPING LEADERSHIP IN THIS GEOGRAPHIC LOCATION, AND (3) TO ESTABLISH A PATTERN BY WHICH OTHER SCHOOLS IN RURAL AREAS MAY BE ORGANIZED TO FACILITATE THE INCORPORATION OF EDUCATIONAL INNOVATIONS. DURING PRE-UMSSP PLANNING THE CONSENSUS WAS THAT TEACHER PARTICIPATION ON A LARGE SCALE WOULD BE VITAL TO THE SUCCESS OF THE OPERATION. IN THE INITIAL STAGES OF ORGANIZATION, A QUESTIONNAIRE WAS DEVELOPED TO IDENTIFY THE SPECIFIC PROBLEMS EXISTING AMONG UMSSP TEACHERS, AND TO DETERMINE INNOVATIVE METHODS ALREADY IN USE. A SUMMARY OF THE 230 TEACHER RESPONSES REVEALED MANY INNOVATIVE PRACTICES BEING USED SUCH AS TEAM-TEACHING, NON-GRADING, UNIQUE AUDIO-VISUAL EQUIPMENT USAGE, AND MODERN MATH AND GRAMMAR. THE TEACHER NEEDS, AS EXPRESSED THROUGH THE QUESTIONNAIRE, INCLUDED--CONSULTANTS' EXPERTISE IN SOME AREAS, BETTER IN-SERVICE TRAINING FOR TEACHERS, AND EXCHANGE VISITS BY TEACHERS. THIS ARTICLE APPEARED IN THE COLLEGE OF EDUCATION RECORD, VOL. 52, NO. 3, DECEMBER, 1966. (ES)