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University of Wyoming

Access to Quality P-16 Education

Peter William Moran, Race, Law and the Desegregation of Public Schools (New York:  LFB Scholarly Publishing, 2005).  316 pages

The book analyzes school desegregation in the Kansas City, Missouri, public schools over the period 1949-1999.  It argues that school desegregation is best understood as a complex process that influenced and was influenced by a multitude of factors.  In this context, developments in Kansas City and elsewhere are presented as products of the interplay between evolving legal standards, shifting demographic patterns, the changing social, political and economic climate of the city, fiscal considerations, and the actions and motivations of public policy makers.  The successes and failures of desegregation are considered in light of each of these interconnected variables, drawing conclusions for Kansas City and the nation as a whole.

Peter William Moran, “Difficult from the Start:  Implementing the Brown Decision in Kansas City, Missouri,” Equity and Excellence in Education 37 (1):  278-288.

This article explores the early history of school desegregation in Kansas City, Missouri.  It examines the development of the school district’s initial 1955 desegregation plan based on neighborhood schools, and the impact of that plan.  Extensive analysis is devoted to the plan’s shortcomings, particularly the provisions allowing students to transfers between schools and the manner in which massive demographic change in the city undermined school desegregation.  Finally, the article explores the origins of busing for desegregation in Kansas City during the early 1960s, the modifications made to the busing plan following protests by the city’s civil rights organizations, and the subsequent court decisions that gave shape to the city’s magnet schools desegregation plan.

Cooney, M. (2004). Wyoming Early Childhood Endorsement Program. Daniels Fund grant.

This grant provided funds to support adjunct faculty training for the Wyoming Early Childhood Endorsement Program.

Cooney, M. (2004) Early Childhood Education Network. National Association of School Boards of Education.

This grant supported statewide articulation for the Wyoming Early Childhood Endorsement Program. Dr. Cooney and representatives from the Wyoming Department of Education developed the proposal.

Simpson, E.S, & Yocom, D.J.  (2004). Every Child: A journey toward individualized education for all.  Teaching Exceptional Children. Accepted for publication.

This article is a program description of one elementary school’s journey to restructure and reform service delivery in order to meet the unique needs of every child.  The Every Child Program, modeled loosely on the Neverstreaming Program of Elk Grove Unified School District in Sacramento, CA, began in one elementary school in Casper, Wyoming in 1999 and has grown to include ten schools with more added every year. There are three main goals for the Every Child project: to prevent all students from failing, at any level, in reading and math, to reduce the number of students qualifying for special education services through prevention and early intervention activities, and to keep all students in the regular environment as much as possible.  These goals were conceived in 1999 and continue to support the program today.

Flying V Donor Assisted Fund Grant (2003) D.J. Yocom & L. Simpson, Wyoming Collaborative Mentorship Academy, University of Wyoming.

Funding from the Flying V Donor Advised Fund was used to supplement support received by the Special Education Department under the Wyoming Department of Education State Improvement Grant in order to deliver the Second Annual Wyoming Collaborative Mentorship Academy (WCMA) Summer Institute.  The primary purpose of the WCMA is to provide the state with highly qualified special education teachers as well as offer effective inclusionary strategies and practices for general educators.  The funds were sought to bring in national presenters, scholarships for attendance, and general support for the Institute.  The funding requested from this Donor Advised Fund focused on three complimentary areas of Institute support: 1) presenters, 2) scholarships, and 3) general support.