Educational Services for Local Schools: An Alternative Model--PREPS.

An alternative model, the Program of Research and Evaluation for Public Schools (PREPS), provides specialized educational services to local public schools. PREPS is funded directly by member school districts with additional funds from Mississippi State University. This sponsorship allows each member school to select, design, and conduct research on problems of its choice. Focus of the program is on creating a self-renewing, system-improvement capacity within each of the member school districts. A basic strength of the program is the joint governance of specialists on the PREPS staff and school district superintendents. All activities are focused on creating a critically needed data base for each member school district to use in making decisions about its curriculum, instruction, and business management. A key element in the success of the program has been that PREPS serves the school district and does not force external ideas. There is also an ongoing, interactional relationship between PREPS staff and local decision makers, and school districts have willingly participated and cooperated with PREPS staff. Another successful element has been PREPS' collaborative task force approach to solving problems. (JD)