Addressing the concerns and resources of small, rural school districts, this book sets out a rationale and model plan for school-community relations. After introductory material and a review of what's been done, the first major section lists and describes 10 criteria shown by research to be most important for a small school district community…

This digest discusses the issue of performance standards for school superintendents. School districts are discovering that developing performance standards for administrators can be cost effective, reduce crisis management, set and maintain direction, and give the community a standard for measuring school success. Several aspects of the issue on…

Thanks to ever-increasing high-level advocacy and the added incentive provided by Goals 2000 legislation, many states have completed or are working on school technology plans. Although technology planning occurs at multiple levels, many principles are identical, and with careful cooperation, facets of a plan at one level will often…

Intended primarily for preservice and beginning teachers, this handbook can also be used by inservice teachers, school administrators, and college professors as an aid in helping new teachers meet the challenges of the opening days of the school year. The handbook begins with instructions for getting acquainted with available instructional…

State policies greatly affect the decisions rural districts make about building or renovating school facilities. State, federal, and local mechanisms for funding school facilities are briefly described. Some states require a specific percentage of growth or decline in student population or a minimum number of students as a prerequisite for…

Research and evaluation staff members in schools and school districts are frequently called on to answer questions about the quality of schools. Responding merely with test scores is not sufficient, because it is important to communicate information about the total educational program in the district. Additional measures are available.…

Over the last two decades, there has been a growing body of research evidence suggesting important benefits to be gained by elementary-age schoolchildren when their parents provide support, encouragement, and direct instruction in the home and school and maintain good communication with the school and related organizations. Involvement is often a…

This digest reviews educational policies and practices that have been proven effective in closing the achievement gap, offering a list of resources with detailed information about them. The digest focuses on state and district roles (e.g., developing and implementing educational goals, rigorous standards, and accountability standards and providing…