The purpose of this report is threefold: to provide a brief overview of national dropout issues--both data and risk factors, with emphasis on those in rural areas--and then focusing on the particular factors that have the greatest impact on students in Mississippi; present the critical challenges for rural areas; and finally to recommend…

Sponsored by the Association for Education Finance and Policy (AEFP), the second edition of this groundbreaking handbook assembles in one place the existing research-based knowledge in education finance and policy, with particular attention to elementary and secondary education. Chapters from the first edition have been fully updated and revised…

Discusses the importance of engaging the public in conversations about school improvement, noting that public engagement goes beyond public relations. Discussion focuses on: listening as the key to public engagement; defining who the public is; engaging the public in rural schools; setting standards with the public's help; providing training to…

Presents results from a followup study of students who participated in Project Follow Through, an innovative program in direct instruction established in innercity and rural elementary grades throughout the country in 1968 by the United States Office of Education. These students scored higher on standardized tests, dropped out less, and applied to…

In multigrade instruction, children of at least a 2-year grade span and diverse ability levels are grouped in a single classroom and share experiences involving intellectual, academic, and social skills. "The Multigrade Classroom" is a seven-book series that provides an overview of current research on multigrade instruction, identifies…

This handbook synthesizes research on the education of various subpopulations of students who tend to be highly mobile and explores common characteristics and significant differences. It provides a comprehensive array of resources for teachers and schools. Part 1, "Defining Highly Mobile Children and Youth," includes: (1) "Students…

Beginning in middle school, there is an increasing gap between school and the home. In linguistically and ethnically diverse communities, there is often an even greater separation between children's school lives and the home. This toolkit provides teachers, particularly new teachers and those in high-poverty urban and rural communities, with…

Educational reform poses problems for administrators in rural areas who have limited time and resources. This guide offers a process that can be used by rural administrators to engage the community in activities that will enhance children's success in the classroom and in their adult lives. Section 1 discusses the importance of community…

The 2002 reauthorization of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act, known as No Child Left Behind, significantly expands the role of the federal government in elementary and secondary education and has important implications for rural and small schools. This guide examines 15 areas of the legislation that will have the greatest impact on rural…

Educational attainment for rural African Americans is lower than that of urban African Americans or rural Whites. The African American Church has always had a strong role in providing educational opportunities for African American children and in community activism in general. This digest discusses partnering with rural African American churches…