9712780 Guffy The proposal is for a Development phase Rural Systemic Initiative grant from West Texas A&M University, on behalf of a consortium of educational leaders and institutions in the state of Texas. The project targets 178,000 students in 196 school districts in 73 rural counties. The proposers would accomplish the goals of the development phase by organizing 6 Focus Groups, each representative of the rural regions of Texas. The groups will focus on: 1) SMT education; 2) Rural Workforce and Economic Development; 3) Scientific Literacy and Appreciation in Rural Communities; 4) Rural Community Infrastructures; 5) Integrated Systemic Reform; and 6) Rural Resource Partnerships and Alignments. In each of these areas, the Focus Groups will document the current state of several key indicators. ??
