This case study explores the perceptions of teachers, administrators, students, and parents regarding the impact of character education on in-school suspension programs. The study utilized qualitative data including personal interviews and surveys conducted at two rural middle schools in Georgia and South Carolina over a period of several…

Recruiting and retaining highly qualified teachers has been a challenge for many rural school districts. Lower salaries, working conditions, and geographic location are some of the challenges rural districts face when staffing their schools. The challenges of recruiting teachers in rural areas are compounded by competition from larger districts…

Albert Bandura, the leading pioneer in the study of self-regulation, has defined the term as the child's ability to self-educate, self-direct, regulate motivation, and learn to think about what she is learning (1994). Lev Vygotsky's theory that children can be taught to think independently about how to solve problems expands upon Bandura's work…

This research evaluated South Carolina's Program of Alternative Certification for Educators (PACE). Specifically, the study analyzed this nontraditional teacher preparation pathway's outcomes: to recruit, train, and retain effective beginning teachers who fill the growing teacher vacancies in rural South Carolina. From an in-depth review of the…

In a culture glorifying thinness and beauty, most females (especially adolescents) carry some risk of developing eating disorders. A recent survey of 280 South Carolina middle school students disclosed significant female/male differences. About 70% of the girls felt fat; many used various weight-loss techniques, including dieting, fasting,…

This report is based on an almost 5-year continual study of selected collaboratives engaged in education reform and improvement with a focus on science, math, and technology in schools serving K-12 students in rural America. This version of the final report of the study is primarily intended for use by educators, decision makers, and others who…