This paper discusses the basic content of Titles I and II of Public Law 99-457: the Amendments to the Education of the Handicapped Act, and their implications for providing early intervention services to rural populations. "Title I: Services to Infants and Toddlers" discusses provisions of the law, its rationale, definitions of terms…

A 1985 mail survey of 97 rural schools and 53 coastal (urban/suburban) schools in Queensland, Australia, investigated teacher characteristics, problems, and needs. Respondents included 504 rural teachers, 215 rural parents, 405 coastal teachers, and 179 coastal parents. The results confirm many previous findings about teaching in rural Australia.…

One population at risk of academic failure comprises students who are of average ability, but who score significantly higher in nonverbal aptitude than verbal aptitude. Careful identification and instructional intervention can help these students to perform better. The findings of two studies are presented. The first study was conducted in 1964…

Ten rural school improvement clusters involving 63 districts, 7 colleges and universities, and 6 state departments of education have been developed in Colorado, Kansas, Missouri, Nebraska, and North Dakota through the work of the Mid-Continent Regional Educational Laboratory's Rural Education Project. Four essential steps appear necessary for…

The document provides educators with data and information regarding the utilization of alternative educational processes in Latin American rural communities. Many communities exist at social and economic poverty levels and are isolated from urban centers. Documents compiled for use at alternative education conferences, held in Paipa, Colombia in…

Compiled in this document are forms, charts, letters, and instructions used in "Turnstile," a management system for individually designed classroom curriculum extension, small group training, and/or independent study programs offered to approximately 400 gifted and talented students in 32 rural Shasta County, California, schools.…

A merit pay plan can be successful if it contains unified and agreed upon objectives, integration and expansion of present key tasks, and endorsement and involvement of the entire educational staff. The responsibility of developing appropriate goals rests with the board of education, while the responsibility of documenting voluntary participation…

Describes Technical Assistance Centers established by the Virginia Department of Education to provide support services to preschool professionals throughout the state. Technical assistance--provided only at the request of the person who will receive it--includes needs assessments, information services, library services, on- and off-site…

A survey of rural Washington school board presidents posed conflict scenarios and asked the presidents to choose one of five possible recommendations for resolving the conflict. Recommendations corresponded to five power bases used by people in leadership positions. Results showed that power base preferences varied significantly among school board…

A study of 243 beginning teachers in Ohio rural settings explored relationships between teachers' effectiveness ratings and two preservice factors--undergraduate college grade point average and rural, suburban, or urban high school backgrounds. A highly significant relationship existed between grade point average and teacher effectiveness but not…

Describes cooperation among rural schools as a means of improving education. Identifies benefits of cooperative programs, documents their rapid growth in the past decade, and calls for an infrastructure in which local districts, regional cooperatives, and state and national associations combine to provide optimum access to services, ideas, and…

Special education teachers in rural and urban areas in California were asked to rate their present skill level and desired skill level for 13 bilingual special education teaching competencies. Both groups desired higher skills in all competencies, and both selected parent training skills as competencies they most desired to gain. (JHZ)

Contributors suggest techniques for teaching kindergarten children to read, celebrating Black Heritage Week, developing critical reading and thinking skills, building a classroom library, motivating young readers, and involving parents in reading instruction. (FL)

Presents an overview of educational technologies available for use with special education students in rural areas, including teleconferencing, computers, electronic mail, and interactive videodisc. Examines benefits and weaknesses of telecommunications use for students, teachers, and administrators. (SV)

Project NETWORC (Nevada Educational Television Working Out in Rural Communities) is presented as a model for ensuring effective preparation of rural special education teachers by delivering university courses to individuals already working in rural communities. Four courses are offered, each having a video segment, audioteleconferencing segment,…