As school districts face declining enrollment and stable or reduced funding they look for ways to contain costs and continue to provide a quality educational experience. In many states "a new wave of consolidation...may be at hand" (Kysilko, 2003). The research cites advantage for both consolidation and for maintaining small schools. The…

An economical strategy used to expand the curriculum at the Peterson (Minnesota) secondary school, a small rural facility, is described. The need for an enriched curriculum was identified on the basis of several shortcomings perceived in the existing school program: few electives, student stereotyping and cliques, and inadequate special needs…

This pamphlet provides information for teachers contemplating employment in Yukon Territory, Canada. A preface briefly describes the political history and government of the Yukon, and emphasizes the frontier nature of the region. In both English and French, the paper discusses the curriculum, school terms and vacations, the Yukon Teachers'…

Small, rural schools have proportionately as many gifted students as larger schools and can have quality gifted educational programs. As in large schools, identification involves staff and self-referral and systematic record evaluations. Referral reviews determine if needs are being met in regular classrooms, suggest alternative strategies for…

Although integration of subject matter disciplines has long been one of the greatest strengths of rural and small schools, the knowledge explosion has complicated the process. Teachers can engage in discipline integration more effectively and efficiently by giving consideration to planning methodologies, lessons, classroom behaviors, and scope and…

Small, sometimes multi-cultural, rural schools need specialized preservice teacher education programs to prepare teachers. After outlining the classroom, school, and sociocultural characteristics affecting a teacher's success and survival in a rural community, this paper discusses the apparent lack of rural content in teacher preparation programs…

Career ladders have been proposed as one way to address problems rural and small schools have in recruiting academically able and talented teachers, recognizing them once they start teaching, and retaining them in the teaching role. While there are differences in career ladder plans, there are also some common features, e.g., predetermined…

Asserts that the challenge facing music educators today is to provide students with enriching music instruction within a changing educational environment. Describes a four-phase program adopted by a small rural Texas school district that helped improve music education within a limited budget. (CFR)

This document is a stand-alone training package for staff development providers in rural small schools. Based on research and best-practice information, the school improvement model used promotes cooperation, content transferability, and adaptations for long-term program maintenance. The underlying assumptions of the model are that when school…

In this collection, eight master teachers with extensive experience in small, rural Alaska schools describe some of the ways they have adapted instruction to rural Alaskan circumstances. These papers discuss: (1) the characteristics of effective rural teachers; (2) adapting the "Coping!" curriculum for affective education to the cultural…

The Old Order Amish community is a unique minority group that does not receive adequate public school services. While a majority of Amish children attend an estimated 470 Amish parochial elementary schools, some Amish enrollment is in small rural public schools. However, six states with large Amish populations have no significant public school…

The curricular and extracurricular responsibilities of teaching in a small school district require uniquely prepared teachers. Rural teachers often need additional background in instructional methods for teaching reading, content areas other than their specialty, discipline techniques, use of community resources, and individualized diagnosis and…

In multigrade instruction, children of at least a 2-year grade span and diverse ability levels are grouped in a single classroom and share experiences involving intellectual, academic, and social skills. "The Multigrade Classroom" is a seven-book series that provides an overview of current research on multigrade instruction, identifies…

In three southwestern states, grassroots movements of citizens, educators, and local businesses developed and implemented two-way interactive television projects in their schools and communities. A descriptive multiple case study design was used to examine six project sites in New Mexico, Texas, and Oklahoma. Research questions were categorized in…

The Rural and Small Schools Conference has made a special effort to address the needs that pertain to science educators in rural and small schools. This publication presents the proceedings from the 1988 science education section of the conference. The content of the conference deals with a diversity of topics. The proceedings include a preface…