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Concerned with the impact of Title I, as national education policy on four mountain west states (Utah, Idaho, Wyoming, and Montana), this study concludes that Title I has not been internalized, integrated, or institutionalized in this region of the country or in any of the four individual states. The rejection of Title I policy rests on two basic findings. First, the idea of federalism as an appropriate vehicle for making social policy dramatically contradicts the popular ideology of the region. Second, the idea of compensatory education translates into welfarism which is incongruous with the value system in these western states. Each of the states studied has Title I monies and programs. While this fact seems to contradict the stated ideological considerations, the mountain west states have utilized Title I because they are poor, polite, and law-abiding. Two recommendations are offered to make future program expectations more congruent with the needs of the region: reduction of reporting and paper work requirements in the funding of on-going Title I programs in districts where there have been no significant demographic or economic changes and exploration by the states of ways to encourage program consolidation. Based upon application in these states, it is doubtful that one national policy and particularly one set of guidelines can be appropriate to all disadvantaged children and disadvantaged districts. (NEC)