Issues related to the use of distance education are discussed in this bulletin, which also summarizes the status of distance education in 26 countries of Asia and the Pacific. Section 1 contains a rationale for distance education and points out possibilities offered by advances in communication technologies. Section 2 gives country-by-country…

The problems of Knowville, a small school district (K-12 enrollment: 408) in the central farming region of New York State were examined by a research team from Cornell University. Interviews were conducted with residents of the community, school board members, teachers, administrators, and students in the school. This Knowville case study report…

This case study examines a small school district (called Hamlet) in New York State which appears to be a perfect candidate for school reorganization because of low (and decreasing) enrollment (187 pupils in grades K-12), very high per pupil expenditures, two larger (520-610 pupils) neighboring districts to which pupils could be transported with…

The results of centralization of one of the larger "small-rural" school districts in New York State are examined in this case study. The demographics of Yorkville and the feelings and opinions that residents have about their communities and schools are discussed first. Next, the history of the school system since 1950, when the district…

Current educational research efforts are examining rural/urban differences in achievement, appropriateness of rural/urban achievement measures, effects of parents and community on the attainment of rural students, and how well rural students succeed in higher education. To accurately assess the small, rural school's impact on students, rural-urban…

To assist state-level educational policy makers, information about the needs of rural adults and barriers to their participation in educational programs was studied in seven northwestern states. Telephone interviews gathered information from educational providers (approximately 6 in each state) and 47 rural adult learners from the region. In each…

This inventory of model programs in rural postsecondary education is part of a larger project to provide current research and resource information to rural educators and policy makers. The inventory is illustrative--not comprehensive or exhaustive--and results from mailing 805 survey instruments which elicited 251 responses and 183 candidates for…

The capabilities of a distance education system to enhance instructional programs of small schools by providing equity and increasing quality of educational opportunity, providing access to subject matter and subject matter experts, and providing interaction and joint activities with students in other schools are of sufficient merit to formulate…

Equivalency programmes (EPs) refers to alternative education programmes that are equivalent to the formal education system in terms of curriculum and certification, policy support mechanisms, mode of delivery, staff training, and other support activities such as monitoring, evaluation and assessment. The development of EPs is potentially an…

This research-in-dialogue study ascertained the viewpoints of representatives of 31 groups of East Kimberley (Australia) Aboriginal people on education, their priorities as to what issues government should be addressing, and their suggested strategies for achieving a system of education which meets perceived needs of the remote Aboriginal…

A study of two neighboring rural school districts in New York State was undertaken to determine if differences in educational quality existed between the two communities--Applegate and Bakerville--and to identify factors affecting educational quality. Comparison of demographic and socioeconomic characteristics included racial and ethnic…

This report presents the accomplishments and activities of the Australian Education Council in 1983. The council held two meetings in 1983. One, in Canberra, addressed conditions regarding Commonwealth funding for capital purposes, criteria for registration of nongovernment schools, participation of young people in tertiary education, and a…

The history of school district consolidation in New York State reveals that nearly every set of recommendations which has encouraged consolidation has brought about widespread negative reaction from the public. Reorganization is a highly political activity in which members of the State Legislature and the State Education Department have always…

Education workshop participants at the First Statewide Legislative Symposium on Rural Development pinpointed trends, strengths, weaknesses, goals, and public policy questions for grades K-12 and higher education. For grades K-12, rural schools were characterized by increased enrollment due to migration from urban areas, increasing popularity with…

This report focuses on the status of rural education and is intended to provide information to education researchers, policymakers at the federal and state levels, as well as others concerned about issues in rural education. Specifically, the goal is to increase federal policymakers' attention to rural education problems, promote improvements in…