Southern Appalachian Settlement Schools as Early Initiators of Integrated Services

• Main Author: Jurgens, Eloise H.
• Format: Others
• Published: Digital Commons @ East Tennessee State University 1996
• Subjects: Education; Education history; Health and environmental sciences; Health care; Public health; Social sciences; Social service; Welfare; Other Education; Public Health; Social Welfare
• Online Access: https://dc.etsu.edu/etd/2747; https://dc.etsu.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=4138&context=etd

This historical-descriptive study examined Southern Appalachian settlement schools as early initiators of integrated health and social services with education from the 1900s through the 1970s. Three schools were studied: Hindman Settlement School (KY), Pine Mountain Settlement School (KY) and Crossnore School, Inc. (NC). The purpose of the study was to determine the type and extent of services provided, the relationship of the settlement schools with their respective county public school system, and the transfer, if any, of integrated services from the settlement schools to public schools as the public schools took over educational responsibilities once offered by the settlement schools. The conclusions of this study were that extensive integrated services were offered, changing in type over time, the relationship of the settlement schools with their respective county public school systems was, for the most part, cooperative and sometimes collaborative, and there was no transfer of integrated services from the settlement schools to the public schools. Instead, the settlement schools became an integrated service to the public schools. An additional finding was that Pine Mountain Settlement School engaged in a primitive form of privatization with the Harlan County Board of Education. Further, all three settlement schools, through the wide range of services offered, were builders of communities.