Data and information are shared about: (1) First Nations educational infrastructure--new schools, repairs and renovations of schools, project planning, teachers' residences, and operational and maintenance funds. (2) The monitoring of primary and secondary education on reserves. (3) Challenges of schools located in remote areas and with fewer than…

This paper examines the effect of the use of dynamic geometry environments on children's thinking about angle. Using a driving angle model in Sketchpad, kindergarten children were able to develop an understanding of angle as "turn," that is, of angle as describing an amount of turn. Gestures and motion played an important role in their…

This paper reports on a theme, the intrusion of the Traditional Western worldview, emerging from an ongoing study of the impact of teachers' engagement in the Transreform approach to the teaching and learning of mathematics on students' affective and cognitive responses to and achievement in mathematics. Newly theorized (Russell & Chernoff,…

This study examined how teachers in a geographically remote location experienced participation in a collaborative, professional development group project designed to develop student performance assessment tools. Participating teachers completed focus group and individual interviews as well as personal teaching efficacy surveys. All teachers new to…

Recent provincial educational policy in British Columbia (Canada) supports inclusion of special needs children in the regular classroom and a philosophy of individualized education for every child. These policies have considerable impact on teachers in isolated rural schools. A survey of 32 teachers and 100 student teachers in rural elementary…

While it is not the intent of the paper to portray the rural school jurisdictions as completely riven and incapacitated by conflicting interests, a very strong implication emerging from studies of these school systems is that "integrative" management policies and strategies are needed to counteract the fragmentation which has been…

A 15-year study of Amish schools in the United States and Canada found that the number of Amish schools has grown dramatically from 1940 through the present. The Amish provide formal schooling only up to the eighth grade, after which adolescents are engaged in mastering a trade before entering into adulthood. The Amish once supported public…

Decentralized or school-based budgeting is a growing practice in Saskatchewan (Canada) school systems. A survey of 179 elementary and secondary principals in 60 of the province's larger rural school districts sought to find the extent of budget decentralization and the principals' attitudes toward the arrangement. The results indicated that (1)…

This paper examines Ontario, Canada schools that share a principal and other resources. A literature review refers primarily to U.S. schools, termed clustered schools, and outlines forms of collaboration and advantages and disadvantages of clustering. A survey of 37 Ontario school districts received responses from 68 principles of 141 schools…

This document provides current and historical information about rural education in Manitoba, Canada. The report's eight sections and the information they provide are as follows: (1) "Background" emphasizes the importance of education to rural residents, and describes the trend toward education for all ages; (2) "Early Education in…

This paper presents highlights from surveys of some of Canada's most isolated schools, located in northern Labrador, Nunavut, northern Saskatchewan, and northern and interior British Columbia. Most served Inuit or other First Nations communities. Although all schools had contact by phone and most had e-mail, few were accessible by road. Five Inuit…

Alberta (Canada) is experiencing a phenomenon common to many other regions the world over: there is a movement of population away from rural areas to urban centers. Such migration has a profound impact on rural schools and school systems in these areas, including a decrease in school population, school staff, and school programs. In an attempt to…

Canada will face a serious teacher shortage in the next 15 years due to the aging of its teaching work force. A study of patterns of teacher supply and demand in British Columbia (Canada) interviewed key informants at the Ministry of Education, British Columbia College of Teachers, and British Columbia Teachers' Federation, and board officials and…

The retention rate for rural teachers has historically been low, often with loss of two or more teachers per school year in some areas. Recently, a surplus of teachers has relieved this problem, but a predicted shortage will aggravate the situation. A survey of rural teachers was conducted in 1980 in British Columbia to try to find a reason for…

Ontario public school systems are responsible for ensuring that Ministry of Education documents, such as subject guidelines, are implemented in their schools. This paper describes an implementation plan developed and used in Simcoe County by a large rural school board with modest program support staff. Four distinct phases characterize this…