Electronic networks, ranging from local to national in scope, have been developed for a variety of purposes. Persons involved in science and mathematics education at the K-12 level have increasingly been identifying ways in which such networking could be useful, and experimenting with the creation of such networks. It now seems appropriate to draw on the experience of both educators and electronics experts to define optimum characteristics of such networking activities and systems, including the hardware, software, databases, and interconnects. These guidelines should be useful to educators in facilitiating the efficient establishment of new networks and to funding agencies in deciding how best to allocate funds for networks. A small working conference of persons experienced in the electronics of networking and in the educational applications of networking will draft guidelines for the design and operation of networks for the K-12 science and mathematics education community. These will subsequently be refined and compiled into a report which can be broadly distributed. The objective will be to provide practical guidance to anyone interested in linking K-12 schools and teachers electronically in the most effective and economical way.
