{"id":{"repo_id":"vt","oai_identifier":"oai:vtechworks.lib.vt.edu:10919/26320"},"canonical_url":"https://search.dev.ndltd.org/etd/vt/oai:vtechworks.lib.vt.edu:10919/26320","repository":{"repo_id":"vt","name":"Virginia Tech","base_url":"https://vtechworks.lib.vt.edu/oai/request"},"display":{"title":"The Regional Instructional Specialist for Adult Education in Virginia: A Case Study","abstract":"In the late 1980s regional instructional specialists were hired by the Virginia Department of Education in 18 planning districts. The purpose of this study was to describe the role of one specialist in a rural setting. The description may be beneficial to adult education planners and policy makers as they look for innovative ways of delivering rural adult education programs. Three research questions guided the study: 1. What are the contexts (historical, legal, geographical, and program) in which the rural regional instructional specialist works? 2. What tasks (administrative and program) are performed by the rural regional instructional specialist? 3. What are the outcomes of the work of the rural regional instructional specialist? Through interviews, review of documents, and observations, the researcher found that the historical, legal, geographical, and program contexts of the rural regional instructional specialist were interrelated, and that they guided and constrained the work of the specialist. Governmental mandates and budgets prescribed the development of programs. Geographical features,employment opportunities, educational needs, and social conditions influenced what was offered and when it was offered in adult education programs in the Mount Rogers Region. Planning and conducting professional development activities, maintaining links with teachers in the regional program and with personnel at the state office in Richmond, visiting classes in each locality, maintaining referral links with other agencies, and recruitment of students were tasks performed by the regional instructional specialist. Priorities were family literacy, workplace programs, infusion of technology, and health literacy. By increasing classes for One-Stop centers and immigrants, offering in-service programs for teachers, visiting program sites, and collaborating with other agencies, the specialist contributed to higher enrollment in classes and increased educational gains for students. The role of the rural regional instructional specialist in Virginia is changing, and the future of the position is uncertain.","abstract_html":"In the late 1980s regional instructional specialists were hired by the Virginia Department of Education in 18 planning districts. The purpose of this study was to describe the role of one specialist in a rural setting. The description may be beneficial to adult education planners and policy makers as they look for innovative ways of delivering rural adult education programs. Three research questions guided the study: 1. What are the contexts (historical, legal, geographical, and program) in which the rural regional instructional specialist works? 2. What tasks (administrative and program) are performed by the rural regional instructional specialist? 3. What are the outcomes of the work of the rural regional instructional specialist? Through interviews, review of documents, and observations, the researcher found that the historical, legal, geographical, and program contexts of the rural regional instructional specialist were interrelated, and that they guided and constrained the work of the specialist. Governmental mandates and budgets prescribed the development of programs. Geographical features,employment opportunities, educational needs, and social conditions influenced what was offered and when it was offered in adult education programs in the Mount Rogers Region. Planning and conducting professional development activities, maintaining links with teachers in the regional program and with personnel at the state office in Richmond, visiting classes in each locality, maintaining referral links with other agencies, and recruitment of students were tasks performed by the regional instructional specialist. Priorities were family literacy, workplace programs, infusion of technology, and health literacy. By increasing classes for One-Stop centers and immigrants, offering in-service programs for teachers, visiting program sites, and collaborating with other agencies, the specialist contributed to higher enrollment in classes and increased educational gains for students. The role of the rural regional instructional specialist in Virginia is changing, and the future of the position is uncertain.","abstract_has_math":false,"creators":["Mullins, Maxine Jeanette"],"institution":"Virginia Tech","degree_name":"Doctor of Education","degree_level":"doctoral","degree_discipline":"Educational Leadership and Policy Studies","degree_department":"Educational Leadership and Policy Studies","school":null,"contributors":[],"advisors":[],"committee_chairs":["Parks, David J."],"committee_members":["Kolenbrander, Ronald","Dawson, Christina M.","Asselin, Susan B."],"year":2006,"date_issued":"2006-02-13","date_published":"2006-02-13","updated_at":"2026-07-22T22:20:31Z","subjects":["family literacy","literacy education","literacy","workplace literacy","Adult education"],"languages":[],"rights":["In Copyright"],"rights_urls":["http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/"],"identifier_entries":[{"key":"dc:identifier.other","label":"Dc Identifier Other","values":["etd-02272006-174418"],"render_values":[{"text":"etd-02272006-174418","href":null,"code":true}]}]},"links":{"outbound_url":"http://hdl.handle.net/10919/26320","outbound_label":"Handle","outbound_source":"dc:identifier.uri"},"metadata_groups":[{"id":"people","label":"People","entries":[{"key":"dc:contributor.committeechair","label":"Committee Chair","values":["Parks, David J."]},{"key":"dc:contributor.committeemember","label":"Committee Member","values":["Kolenbrander, Ronald","Dawson, Christina M.","Asselin, Susan B."]},{"key":"dc:contributor.department","label":"Department","values":["Educational Leadership and Policy Studies"]},{"key":"dc:creator","label":"Author","values":["Mullins, Maxine Jeanette"]}]},{"id":"academic_context","label":"Academic Context","entries":[{"key":"dc:date.accessioned","label":"Dc Date Accessioned","values":["2014-03-14T20:07:50Z"]},{"key":"dc:date.available","label":"Dc Date Available","values":["2014-03-14T20:07:50Z","2006-05-04"]},{"key":"dc:date.issued","label":"Date","values":["2006-02-13"]},{"key":"dc:publisher","label":"Institution","values":["Virginia Tech"]},{"key":"dc:type","label":"Dc Type","values":["Dissertation"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_discipline","label":"Discipline","values":["Educational Leadership and Policy Studies"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_level","label":"Degree Level","values":["doctoral"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_name","label":"Degree Name","values":["Doctor of Education"]},{"key":"thesis:institution_name","label":"Thesis Institution Name","values":["Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University"]}]},{"id":"subjects_keywords","label":"Subjects and Keywords","entries":[{"key":"dc:subject","label":"Dc Subject","values":["family literacy","literacy education","literacy","workplace literacy","Adult education"]}]},{"id":"language_rights","label":"Language and Rights","entries":[{"key":"dc:rights","label":"Dc Rights","values":["In Copyright"]},{"key":"dc:rights.uri","label":"Rights URI","values":["http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/"]}]},{"id":"identifiers","label":"Identifiers","entries":[{"key":"dc:identifier.other","label":"Dc Identifier Other","values":["etd-02272006-174418"]},{"key":"dc:identifier.uri","label":"Identifier URI","values":["http://hdl.handle.net/10919/26320"]}]},{"id":"additional","label":"Additional Metadata","entries":[{"key":"dc:description.abstract","label":"Abstract","values":["In the late 1980s regional instructional specialists were hired by the Virginia Department of Education in 18 planning districts. The purpose of this study was to describe the role of one specialist in a rural setting. The description may be beneficial to adult education planners and policy makers as they look for innovative ways of delivering rural adult education programs. Three research questions guided the study: 1. What are the contexts (historical, legal, geographical, and program) in which the rural regional instructional specialist works? 2. What tasks (administrative and program) are performed by the rural regional instructional specialist? 3. What are the outcomes of the work of the rural regional instructional specialist? Through interviews, review of documents, and observations, the researcher found that the historical, legal, geographical, and program contexts of the rural regional instructional specialist were interrelated, and that they guided and constrained the work of the specialist. Governmental mandates and budgets prescribed the development of programs. Geographical features,employment opportunities, educational needs, and social conditions influenced what was offered and when it was offered in adult education programs in the Mount Rogers Region. Planning and conducting professional development activities, maintaining links with teachers in the regional program and with personnel at the state office in Richmond, visiting classes in each locality, maintaining referral links with other agencies, and recruitment of students were tasks performed by the regional instructional specialist. Priorities were family literacy, workplace programs, infusion of technology, and health literacy. By increasing classes for One-Stop centers and immigrants, offering in-service programs for teachers, visiting program sites, and collaborating with other agencies, the specialist contributed to higher enrollment in classes and increased educational gains for students. The role of the rural regional instructional specialist in Virginia is changing, and the future of the position is uncertain."]},{"key":"dc:description.degree","label":"Dc Description Degree","values":["Ed. D."]},{"key":"dc:title","label":"Title","values":["The Regional Instructional Specialist for Adult Education in Virginia: A Case Study"]}]}],"canonical_facts":{"dc:contributor.committeechair":["Parks, David J."],"dc:contributor.committeemember":["Kolenbrander, Ronald","Dawson, Christina M.","Asselin, Susan B."],"dc:contributor.department":["Educational Leadership and Policy Studies"],"dc:creator":["Mullins, Maxine Jeanette"],"dc:date.accessioned":["2014-03-14T20:07:50Z"],"dc:date.available":["2014-03-14T20:07:50Z","2006-05-04"],"dc:date.issued":["2006-02-13"],"dc:description.abstract":["In the late 1980s regional instructional specialists were hired by the Virginia Department of Education in 18 planning districts. 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The role of the rural regional instructional specialist in Virginia is changing, and the future of the position is uncertain."],"dc:description.degree":["Ed. D."],"dc:identifier.other":["etd-02272006-174418"],"dc:identifier.uri":["http://hdl.handle.net/10919/26320"],"dc:publisher":["Virginia Tech"],"dc:rights":["In Copyright"],"dc:rights.uri":["http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/"],"dc:subject":["family literacy","literacy education","literacy","workplace literacy","Adult education"],"dc:title":["The Regional Instructional Specialist for Adult Education in Virginia: A Case Study"],"dc:type":["Dissertation"],"thesis:degree_discipline":["Educational Leadership and Policy Studies"],"thesis:degree_level":["doctoral"],"thesis:degree_name":["Doctor of Education"],"thesis:institution_name":["Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University"]},"updated_at":"2026-07-22T22:20:31Z"}