In this descriptive and comparative study, we present results highlighting the complexity and scope of the challenges facing rural districts as they navigate the changing demographics of the students and families they serve. Rapid increases in the number and concentration of racially, culturally, and linguistically diverse students in rural areas…

This paper reports preliminary findings on students enrolled in a massive open online course, who were also assigned to work in groups. Part of a larger study on the effect of groups on retention and completion in MOOCs, the paper provides students' demographics (i.e., location, gender, education level, and employment status), and motivation for…

Historically, Pennsylvania has struggled to integrate its public schools, especially with much of the racial diversity concentrated in urban regions. Starting in the 1960s, the Pennsylvania Human Relations Commission (PHRC) was the state's enforcing body to combat school desegregation, but since the early 1980s, when it comes to education, the…

This report examines the 21st Century Community Learning Center (CCLC) programs evaluated by Research for Action (RFA) and presents an aggregate analysis of key findings to inform broader discussions about OST programs. The report addresses the following questions: (1) Who participated in the 21st CCLC programs and how frequently did they…

This report looks at the 21st Century Community Learning Center (CCLC) programs evaluated by Research for Action (RFA). It seeks to answer the following questions: (1) Who participated in the 21st CCLC programs and how frequently did they participate?; (2) What elements of program quality were in place to achieve the intended outcomes?; and (3)…

The purpose of a state report card is to provide the general public and policymakers with information to assess and improve post secondary education in each state. "Measuring Up 2008" is the fifth in a series of biennial report cards that evaluates states in six overall performance categories: (1) Preparation for post-secondary education…

This report represents a county-level Pennsylvania data base focused on variables of significance to rural communities. The data includes computations of per capita rates for counties in rural, urban influence, and urban clusters. This report is intended for comparing rural counties to other areas of the state. Three categories are used to present…

In the 1985-86 academic year, progress was made in increasing the availability of adult basic education (ABE) programs throughout Pennsylvania and in reducing both the overall rate of premature program separation and the rate of enrollees who dropped out of the program before meeting their personal objective. Demographic characteristics of the…

Explores the association of district enrollment, minority enrollment, wealth, poverty level, fiscal capacity, and tax effort with changes in the distribution of Pennsylvania's federal aid due to implementation of Chapter 2 of the Education Consolidation and Improvement Act. Examines the law's effect on paperwork, local control, and encouragement…

With the enactment of Act 46 of 2005, the General Assembly changed the landscape of funding, auditing and reporting for the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania's fourteen community colleges. Act 46 also requires that the Department of Education produce an annual report reflecting data collected from the community colleges relevant to the immediately…

This report presents numerical data for 1990-92 on demographic, social, and educational variables, comparing rural and urban areas of Pennsylvania. Two types of comparisons are provided: (1) rural, urban influence, and urban groupings, based on population density typology (people per square mile and size of the largest community in the county);…

Although the level of funding for adult education programs in Pennsylvania was reduced from 1982-83 to 1983-84, progress was made in increasing the availability of adult basic education (ABE) programs throughout the State and in decreasing the overall rate of premature separations of students from ABE programs. Total hours of service to ABE…

An administrative survey of Adult Basic Education (ABE) programs in Pennsylvania during fiscal 1982-83 indicated that, although the level of funding for adult education programs was reduced from 1981-82 and 1982-83, progress was made in increasing the availability of programs throughout the state. However, the rate of enrollees who dropped out of…