In 1986, it was reported by the U.S. Department of Agriculture that nearly one-third of U.S. commercial farmers were economically threatened. This monograph presents effective adult education programs developed in eight Midwestern states (Iowa, Kansas, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, Oklahoma, and South Dakota) in response to the farm…

Research studies have shown that students in rural high schools have fewer science role models, participate less frequently in extracurricular science activities, and have less science career information than do their peers in more cosmopolitan settings. Furthermore, girls in rural schools may be particularly disadvantaged. For example, analyses…

During 1986-87, the Tennessee Technological University Rural Education Research and Service Consortium continued to facilitate research and service activities of the College of Education faculty in selected rural schools, provide assistance to faculty desiring to engage in such research/service, and provide documentation of school improvement…

Using the Biomedical Sciences Preparatory Program (BioPrep) for illustration, this paper discusses an approach to educational improvement through the development of curriculum that emphasizes experiential learning and the involvement of students in real-life problems. Opening sections describe BioPrep, a program designed to prepare rural high…

Flexibility and change have characterized the 3-year history of the English curriculum-enrichment component of the Biomedical Sciences Preparatory Program (BioPrep)--a program that stresses science for rural high school students but includes the importance of writing and communication skills. In the program's first year the curriculum team set out…

The Village College is a uniquely English institution, yet it may be a viable model for rural education in some parts of the United States as well. If so, four adaptations seem paramount: attitudinal restructuring, institutionalization of adult and community education, a demography capable of supporting the effort, and a new model of educational…

An evaluative questionnaire completed by 30 high school principals and 159 high school students who used the TI-IN Network demonstrated the advantages of interactive satellite television instruction for rural and small schools. The study found that a large number of subscribers to TI-IN were small rural high schools whose principals stated that…

In the summer of 1986, representatives from Southern Oregon State College, the Northwest Regional Laboratory, and the Josephine County School District formed a consortium to design an induction program for beginning rural teachers. During its first year, the consortium presented special on-site graduate credit courses addressing problems new…

One of the four case studies addressing access of rural students to vocational education through inter-school district cooperation, the Heartland case study represents the decentralized variation of the center cooperative school pattern, identifies essential features of this form of cooperation, details factors facilitating/impeding the…

The centralized secondary center pattern of inter-school district cooperation is examined in this third of four case studies addressing access of rural students to vocational education. The report identifies essential features of this form of cooperation, details factors facilitating/impeding the operation/maintenance of the cooperative…

A decentralized noncenter agreement pattern of inter-school district cooperation is examined in this final of four case studies addressing access of rural students to vocational education. The report identifies essential features of this form of cooperation, details factors facilitating/impeding the operation/maintenance of the cooperative…

The Tennessee Technological University Rural Education Research and Service Consortium (RERSC) was founded in 1984 to facilitate research and service activities of the College of Education faculty in selected rural schools, provide assistance to faculty desiring to engage in such research/service, and launch a major research thrust consistent with…

Representing the mobile facilities pattern of inter-district cooperation, the Northwest Multi-District case is one of four studies addressing access of rural students to vocational education through inter-school district cooperation. The report identifies essential features of this form of cooperation, details factors facilitating/impeding the…

A study of high school dropouts and programs in Appalachian regions of 13 states also sought exemplary programs and methods of replication. The high school dropout rate was found to be 5.8% higher than the national average of 23.9%. Within the region, rates were 19.1% in the northern, 38% in the central, and 30% in the southern region. Differences…

This report describes methodology and results of a study to determine the nature and extent of the high school dropout problem in the Appalachian region and to explore characteristics of existing programs dealing with dropout problems in the region. Data aggregation complicated by lack of standardization in reporting numbers of dropouts and…