To identify personal, economic, educational, and social factors influencing students' educational aspirations, data were collected from 1,004 seniors in Prince Edward Island, Canada, in 1971; analysis included male-female and urban-rural differences. From 960 usable questionnaires, level of educational aspiration was determined by respondents'…

Various aspects of rural homes and families in the changing environment of rural Saskatchewan were examined in terms of "level of living" (how they live) and "standard of living" (how they would like to live). Housewives, homemaker clubs, and other interested groups were questioned concerning certain features of family living…

The present study introduces and demonstrates a new methodology for item and test bias studies: "moderated differential item functioning (DIF)." This technique expands the DIF methodology to incorporate contextual and sociological variables as moderating or mediating effects of the DIF. Specifically, this paper explores differential…

Data from the 1981 Census of Canada were used to gain an overview of the demographic and social characteristics of the aboriginal populations in Alberta and to compare the situations of aboriginal and non-aboriginal peoples with regard to age and geographical distribution, educational attainment, labor force activity, and income. Census figures…

The Public Schools Branch of the Yukon Department of Education provides elementary and secondary education to 4,638 students in 10 urban and 16 rural schools, and provides loans and grants to postsecondary students. In the 1983-84 academic year, major initiatives included development of gifted programs and alternate programing for secondary…

Attention to small schools in Manitoba reflects concern for rural development, recognition of cultural pluralism, awareness of benefits of small town living, and a growing scepticism about benefits of consolidation which have led to an appreciation of traditional small school educational practices. The challenge for small school educators is to…

This study originated as a result of public concern about standards of behavior. The purposes of the study were to ascertain what school discipline was in fact like and what it should be like, and to provide information to practitioners. An extensive review of the literature was conducted. Nine groups--principals, vice-principals, teachers,…

Evaluated effectiveness of provincewide chemical abuse prevention education program for elementary grades with 2,092 students and 500 teachers. Found students had high initial knowledge level, certain students showed significant knowledge gains, program was most effective with low knowledge base students, program was in use in 20 percent to 30…

Item analysis data were collected for the Bender Visual Motor Gestalt Test and Goodenough-Harris Drawing Test, from urban and rural Alberta (Canada) youngsters and Inuit youngsters from the Northwest Territories (Canada). Both tests were inadequate in individual item difficulty levels, suggesting the necessity of revising scoring systems and…

As a companion project to the Edmonton Grade III Achievement: 1956-1977 Comparisons, this study had two purposes: to establish benchmarks of basic skills achievement and to compare the achievement of various subgroups. Third grade students in Alberta were administered the Gates MacGinitie Reading Tests--Vocabulary and Comprehension, and the…

In October 1988, the Workplace Hazardous Materials Information System (WHMIS) became law in Canada and was applied to school classrooms and laboratories. Educators expressed concerns that difficulties in implementation would negatively affect student laboratory activity. In 1994, a survey of 219 randomly selected Manitoba junior and senior high…

Developed as a text for studying rural education in Canada, this book focuses on the importance of listening to the voices of all stakeholders in education, formulating a shared vision for schooling, and providing leadership that will revitalize schools in sparsely populated areas. Section 1 presents strategic planning as the most promising…

This book consists of 13 essays focusing on successful developments in education in rural and remote regions across Canada. Essays examine the integration of local or Aboriginal culture into education, need for educational partnerships between parents and schools, importance of distance education in meeting the educational needs of rural students,…

Educational and occupational aspiration levels of secondary school students (grades 10 to 13) in Midnorthern Ontario, Canada were examined in conjunction with selected social and demographic factors. Data were obtained via 22,158 completed questionnaires (36 items in French and English for males and females) administered in 1972. Major variables…

The part of the educational system that has received least attention in the immediate past is the rural school. Much good work has been and is now being done in the reorganization of courses of study, in training teachers, in planning for material equipment, and all the various details that help make an efficient school system. While these efforts…