Connecting Rural School Improvement and Community Development.

This is the first of a series of issue papers that discuss ways in which rural communities and schools can work together to guarantee their students the best education possible. By working together, rural schools and communities can not only improve education, but revitalize the entire community. The Southwest Educational Development Laboratory is helping to establish partnerships in its region through the Rural Development Collaborative Action Team project (RD-CAT) which links school and community development using two strategies. These strategies include building local capacity to work in school and community teams through the CAT process and working with these local teams to plan and carry out activities such as service learning and entrepreneurial training that link school instructional programs and community development projects. CAT's three-dimensional approach employs team building, team planning, and momentum generation. Service learning and entrepreneurial activities teach students valuable skills, connect students to their community, and provide useful services to the community. The RD-CAT in Balmorhea, Texas, illustrates what can happen when the school and community join forces. Sixteen programs have been planned or started, including a successful school-based rural health clinic and a school-based community weather station used for science classes. Accomplishments of other school-community programs in Alabama, Idaho, Minnesota, Nebraska, and North Carolina are briefly described. (CDS)