Purpose: This paper reports on a study exploring a sustained coaching model of teacher professional development (PD). The study was undertaken with middle school teachers in a small rural school division in Alberta, Canada. The goal of the study was to theorize about the components of the sustained coaching model of PD that supported or was a…

Background: Comprehensive School Health (CSH) approaches to developing a healthy school community can be effective in supporting chronic disease prevention while positively impacting on student behaviour and academic performance. Although a CSH framework provides principles for action, there is a lack of evidence regarding the processes that best…

The results of 123 elementary-to-secondary teacher surveys and 14 in-depth qualitative interviews examining teachers' perspectives regarding inclusion in a rural school district are reported. Four features of inclusive education from the perspective of teachers are elaborated: (1) attitudes toward inclusion; (2) supportive communication and…

Can four-day school weeks help districts save money? How do districts overcome the barriers of moving to a four-day week? What is the effect of a four-day week on students, staff and the community? This paper enumerates the benefits for students and teachers of four-day school weeks. Recommendations for implementation of a four-day week are also…

Interview, document, and observational data were used to examine grade K-2 teachers' and literacy coaches' perceptions of the benefits and challenges of collaborative action research as a professional development initiative in rural schools. Eleven teachers and five literacy coaches in five northern Ontario school districts participated in…

This two-year study (2007-2009), which examined teacher supply and demand issues in northern Canada--Fort Nelson School District (BC), the Fort Vermilion School Division (AB), the Yukon Department of Education (YK), and the Yellowknife School District (NWT)--comprised three research objectives: (a) to ascertain in which subject areas acute and…

This study explored the effectiveness of a speech and language intervention that was designed to be culturally responsive and adapted to provide explicit language instruction. Participants included all 774 kindergarten students from a mid-sized rural school district in British Columbia. Seventy-seven students screened as at risk received the…

This paper, one of a series, reports the results of a survey of 413 children in Grades Three to Six on inclusive education in a school district in rural Alberta, Canada. The aims of the study were to examine the views of children regarding their experience in schools claiming to be inclusive, situated within a jurisdiction which also claims to be…

Inclusive education--based on the premise of social justice--advocates equal access to educational opportunities for all students. This research provides insight into the inclusive experiences of school principals in a Canadian rural school district through quantitative and qualitative inquiries. A survey was administered to 16 school…

As Canada comes to depend more and more on immigrants for economic growth, the quick integration of newcomers becomes an economic, as well as a social, necessity. Almost all urban schools have some newcomers, and even rural schools are receiving a growing number. They come from many countries and experiences, which makes generalizations tricky. A…

Rural communities that envision a bright future for themselves and their children have become innovative out of necessity--they learn, and adapt, in order to flourish and to provide opportunities for their children. As the formal centers of learning, and often as the largest employer in the community, rural schools become the heart and symbol of…

A rural school district with no psychological services and a nearby university education clinic designed and implemented a short-term clinical program for the district schools. Objectives for the project were defined by the district and the university. A group of 41 children was assessed and given follow-up treatment. (Author)

Examines the dynamics of change processes in a rural Saskatchewan school district over five years--the early stages of implementation of multiple innovations. Describes the political and social context, educational program changes, and teachers' perceptions of sources of support and opportunities for professional development. Contains 29…

Naturalistic case studies of three rural Saskatchewan school districts examined how directors of education managed multiple educational innovations arising from provincially mandated curriculum change and a voluntary school improvement program. School divisions were viewed as comprising three dimensions (political, technical, and cultural) that…