To examine effects of ethnicity, SES, and residence on students' participation in formal clubs, activities, and sports, a survey was administered to 1,450 students at a county-wide consolidated high school in southern Appalachia. The purpose was to investigate the significance of Appalachian ethnicity as an explanation for behavior and to…

Because of their visibility at the center stage of community life, small-town superintendents have a greater opportunity to act as participatory managers and instructional leaders. This paper reports the results of surveys with 25 small-town school superintendents to discover rural/urban differences, work patterns, and exemplary practices in…

Based on data from a 1982-1983 study and from other sources, the average annual salaries of teachers in rural schools were compared, by geographical region, with salaries for all public elementary and secondary teachers in the United States, and the average beginning salary for rural teachers was compared with regional data for beginning public…

Survey of 185 Washington rural mental health center professionals reveals moderately high levels of job/lifestyle satisfaction and higher levels of readiness for rural life/work among those taking rural courses/practicum during their educational experience. Study supports concept of anticipatory socialization correlating with higher levels of…

Reports on findings from a study of 217 schools in Manitoba designed to scrutinize how principals of large and small schools in urban and rural settings perceived the effects of environmental constraints. (MLF)

The position of rural principal differs from that of the urban school administrator, often requiring more sacrifice to earn administrative credentials and demanding day-to-day involvement in every aspect of school activity. This paper reports the results of a 7-state study of 600 principals to determine differences between principalships in rural…

Describes rationale, organization, and requirements of urban/rural mini-semester, a field experience program which provides social work students at Elizabethtown College (Pennsylvania) with an appreciation of both rural and urban social welfare systems. Suggests how other colleges/universities, regardless of size, could implement this curriculum…

This paper reviews literature and history of special education programs since passage of the Education for All Handicapped Children Act (Public Law 94-142) in 1975, and describes findings from a 1987-88 survey of special education directors in 50 states. Previous literature suggested perceived benefits and difficulties with local education agency…

This report provides Pennsylvania state legislators and educators with policy-relevant information about the distance learning needs of rural Pennsylvania school districts. Two surveys, covering rural and urban-suburban Pennsylvania school districts, examined distance learning programs and technologies currently being used and the possibility of…

This report evaluates data collected in the 1981 survey of school district perceptions of the benefits and problems associated with 27 federal competitive grant programs. The survey had three general objectives: (1) determine the number of districts participating in these programs from 1978-80, (2) identify why districts do or do not apply for…

This collection reports on the Gerontology in Theological Education (GITE) project developed at the Gerontology Center of Georgia State University, which was designed to introduce curriculum on aging into theological education. It focuses on the experiences of the Gerontology Center and three seminaries involved in the project: Candler School of…

This resource bulletin provides an overview of creative disciplinary programs in rural, suburban, and urban school settings through interviews conducted with administrators in 1986. Principals interviewed in urban settings expressed concern about student gangs and safety. In rural schools, administrators stated that community cohesion and…

Data from a 1% sample of households in the 1980 United States Census of Population and Housing were used to identify personal and social characteristics associated with being poor or marginally poor in Colorado. The general hypothesis examined was that the more limited an individual's access is to participation in the nontraditional aspects of the…

The report catalogs strengths, defines problems, and establishes goals for the next two decades for rural New York in the area of transportation. Describing where rural New York is today, section one lists 12 trends, 8 strengths, and 16 weaknesses affecting transporation. Trends include increased rural population inflow and demands on local…

This book presents research findings and information about school violence, with a focus on strategies for increasing school safety. Articles in the book come from a special edition of the journal Rural Special Education Quarterly, a publication of the American Council on Rural Special Education. The articles have been rewritten to address issues…