The Big Picture on Small Schools.

Alaska has made many attempts to find methods for providing a quality education for students living in rural areas. They include regional schools, boarding dormitories, the Boarding Home Program, area and local high schools, and correspondence study. This booklet discusses the strong and weak points relative to the major financial, social, legal, logistical, and educational factors which must be considered and includes a policy statement by the Alaska State Board of Education. The philosophy underlying these various attempts coincides with the Bureau of Indian Affairs plan to transfer their operating day schools to the State of Alaska as soon as it is economically feasible, thus eliminating the dual educational system in rural areas and placing the responsibility with the State. As a result of the information gathered concerning Alaska's efforts, local area high schools will be developed to allow students to complete up to 4 years of secondary education in their own locality. The scope of the curriculum will be more limited than the offerings of the large regional high schools, but all local and area high schools will give a general academic program of high quality, leading to a high school diploma. (HBC)