Proceedings

Introduction

The Delmarva Education Foundation (DEF) set out, somewhat unconventionally, to hold a symposium to ask questions rather than seek answers. The response from the economic, business, and political communities was impressive. Of the nearly 100 selected guests who were invited to the symposium, over 50% attended (See Participant List). Evaluation forms were mailed to participants prior to the meeting, and they were collected at the end of the meeting. This was to ensure that each was fully aware of the purposes for the meeting. The purpose of these proceedings is to document the collective effort of the day. Accordingly, in addition to summaries and transcripts, this report provides a tabulation of the evaluations, with an accompanying abstract of the comments submitted. Those observations and recommendations will inform decision-making on research priorities for DEF in the immediate future.

The "Symposium on Rural Education: Research & Policy Issues" was an all-day affair, convening in the Greater Salisbury Committee Board Room in Salisbury , Maryland at 8:30 a.m. on June 25, 2003 and concluding at 4 p.m. The day was structured to begin with local experts providing summary demographic data and overviews of the region’s prospective development. This was followed by two smaller-group discussions across the street in the local library, where participants were divided loosely into “professional educators” and “community stakeholders” and invited by facilitators to think collaboratively to elicit some consensus on issues and priorities. Returning to the plenary session, the “ice had been broken,” and informal discussions were lively and intense. Over lunch, the small group discussions were summarized by a representative from each group. The stage was thus set for three presentations by researchers from Maine, Washington, DC , and Colorado. These individuals generously shared their expertise and vision achieved through years of study emphasizing rural education policy and research. At the end of the day, the talk turned to the need for localized action. Solidly briefed on present and projected reality here and further a field, the participants were primed to do their work: compose questions around which DEF can craft a research agenda. What, DEF asked the symposium participants, do we need to know to improve educational opportunities for residents of the Lower Delmarva Peninsula ? The report that follows describes both consensus and individual visions for our region.  Click here for the Contents.

                                                          Founder of DEF, Donald Harting, listens as Sharon Clark, Assistant

                                                          Director for Rural Education Research and Policy and backbone of

                                                          the Symposium project, reviews the day's agenda.