Research office, local schools form partnership program

The university's Office of Research has announced the awarding of 10 research and service grants totaling $100,000 for collaborative projects ranging from a parental involvement survey to the use of newspapers as a teaching tool to the use of calculators in math and science classes.

"The Public School Partnership Program has generated a great deal of interest among the faculty," said Vice President for Research Ralph Powe. "A campus-wide solicitation for ideas brought 45 well-considered proposals." Final selections—six for the county, four for the city— were made by a committee of representatives from the university and the school districts.

"The 35 proposals that were not funded also contained some excellent programs and our office will be working to find additional support for them," Powe said.

Oktibbeha County Superintendent Walter Conley said the grants "will mean a great deal and will play a vital role in helping us improve our district." In particular, he pointed to projects to help upgrade reading skills and the administrative management information system.

Starkville Schools Superintendent Larry Box said local schools and the university "are each vitally important" to the other.

"The public schools must be strong for all of the normally recognized reasons but also to facilitate recruitment of university staff," Box said. "Mississippi State needs to maintain its role as a leader in research and in providing educational opportunities. This partnership will help each institution achieve these goals."