This qualitative study compares the instructional leadership practices of rural and non-rural principals, seeking to understand contextually based differences in how principals create a focus on teaching and learning. Principals across settings report similarities in instructional leadership tasks; however, they reported significant contextual…

Background: Designed in 2012 with a first implementation in 2013, NE STEM 4U is a professional development program for post-secondary students/undergraduates, and serves as a source of outreach, content knowledge generation, and STEM literacy for youth in grades kindergarten through 8th grade (ages 5-14). The model empowers post-secondary students…

Context: Disparities in the prevalence, morbidity, and mortality of multiple mental health conditions have been described between rural and urban populations. However, there is limited information regarding differences in exposure to trauma and trauma-related mental health conditions in these populations. Given the number of veterans who are…

This article focuses on historical admissions policies and offers a more nuanced and more substantial treatment of the relationship between Populism and higher education. Prior accounts of admissions in the late nineteenth century have sensibly focused upon the tension between secondary school leaders who were mindful of their multiple…

Applied eight categorical definitions of "rurality" to all 93 Nebraska counties. Cluster analysis yielded four clusters of counties that exhibited substantial differences from one another. Discussion includes implications for policy and research. Tables and reference list. (TES)

Finds that, among 36 of 42 Nebraska juvenile court judges, rural judges were more likely than urban judges to take an activist role in obtaining services for youth, to have an informal relationship with local service providers, and to welcome non-judicial solutions for problem youth. Contains 29 references. (SV)

A 15-item questionnaire was administered to 36 rural Nebraska superintendents concerning special education. Financing of special education programs ranked as the number one concern of superintendents. Other high ranking concerns were meeting state guidelines, increasing enrollment, shortages of support service personnel, and matching the…

A survey completed by 464 Nebraska elementary teachers found that 68 percent thought the teaching of nutrition had high priority in the elementary curriculum. Teachers in rural, mid-sized, and urban counties did not differ in attitudes toward nutrition instruction, most instructional practices, their own nutritional training, or available…

Finds that rural women in Nebraska, particularly farm women, entered the wage labor force in disproportionate numbers from 1977 to 1985--farm crisis years. Uses longitudinal data on about 800 Nebraska women to examine the effects of marital status, preschool children, age, residence, and educational attainment. Contains 14 references. (SV)

A survey of 532 preservice teachers from six state colleges and University of Nebraska campuses examined the extent and perceived adequacy of multicultural education training in Nebraska teacher-preparation programs. About 39% of respondents felt that their overall multicultural preparation was inadequate. Responses differed by ethnicity,…

A study of characteristics and motives of migrants to the Northern Great Plains surveyed 1,590 new residents in Nebraska and North Dakota. New arrivals were younger and had higher educational levels than existing residents. Most often cited reasons for moving were desire to be closer to relatives, safety concerns, and quality of the natural…

Data from three Nebraska surveys containing a large panel component were used to examine rural-urban differences in mental health during the farm crisis of the 1980s. Prevalence of psychological symptoms was related both to community context and to level of economic stress. Contains 67 references. (Author/SV)

Uses 1950-90 census data to examine population trends in six northern Plains and Rocky Mountain states. Finds that, except for the rural turnaround of the 1970s, metropolitan counties grew faster than nonmetropolitan; nonmetropolitan counties containing larger communities grew in all four decades; and counties with smaller communities lost…

Compares perceptions of rural and urban Mexican American and Anglo families in 14 states on four aspects of family life satisfaction. Hispanics reported higher satisfaction in most areas, allowing for duration of residence in state, area of residence, education, income and family size. Includes 49 references. (Author/TES)

Citizens in rural Nebraska filed a lawsuit challenging the reliance on local property taxes for school funding that has led to inequities between rural and urban schools. One answer may be to give smaller school districts more money through a state system of taxation and equalization aid to improve school standards. (LP)