An Administrative Guide for Initiating Resident Outdoor Education in the Public Schools.

Administrative guides useful in initiatory planning for public school programs of resident outdoor education were developed from practices employed by program administrators and from professional opinion, the literature, and the author's experience. Outdoor education programs were surveyed by questionnaire, and 9 outdoor schools in the Midwest were visited. Over 90 percent of current programs were found to be in 5 states where strong support existed from universities, the state legislatures, local school districts, and state agencies. Among the guidelines proposed were (1) that many school personnel and community people should be involved in planning activities; (2) that programs should be considered an integral part of the regular school program; (3) that an outdoor education specialist should be considered to promote efficient use of leadership and other school resources which might include cooperative programs with other school districts; and (4) that financial expense suggests that students should bear a portion of the cost of a residential outdoor education program. (JH)