A cooperative venture between the University of West Florida and the Okaloosa County (Florida) school district addressed the concerns of two rural communities over changing school and community characteristics and the need for basic skills instruction for elementary and secondary school students. To meet and expand upon objectives of Teacher Corps graduate programs, a Graduate Program Task Force studied characteristics of the schools and the communities. It was decided that a field-based program would involve most faculty members in the graduate program, would have a direct impact on the school and community, and would cause faculty and interested community members to participate in appropriate preservice and inservice activities. Since no field-based graduate programs in education existed at the university, courses were modified to meet the needs of the new program participants. Four Teacher Corps interns and 28 local teachers began the degree program in the fall of 1979. The program consisted of core courses, elective seminars, directed independent studies, and individual specializations culminating in a major project. The program was scheduled to allow a combination of coursework and classroom observation. Three major strategies were used to accomplish the goal of inservice education and staff development: (1) participation in an action research project or practicum; (2) use of an extended interaction partner system; and (3) development of a portfolio of competencies by the interns. (FG)