The standards-driven approach to school reform, exemplified by Goals 2000, shows promise for unifying contemporary efforts by affecting change at the classroom, school, and community levels. The special aspects of the rural context, particularly distance and low population density, set it apart from the urban and suburban schools on which most…

Alternative models of rural school improvement consortia were identified through a review of research literature in order to determine what existing models were applicable to rural school consortia in the northwest United States. Organization structure of rural school collaboratives and characteristics associated with successful functioning were…

Passage of the Tribally Controlled Community College Assistance Act of 1978 is examined via document reviews and interviews with constituent representatives. Findings highlight the remarkable unity of purpose exhibited by the tribal colleges throughout this process, including the initial proposal to Congress in 1974, debates over tribal control in…

The Telecommunications Act of 1996 constitutes a major overhaul of telecommunications law and will have a major impact on rural residents, communities, schools, libraries, and hospitals. This paper presents 68 key points from the Federal Communication Commission's Universal Service Report and Order, Section X: Schools and Libraries, which contains…

This paper addresses the role of distance education as a means for increasing curricular offerings of small and rural secondary schools. Treating distance education as a "technology" risks repeating the same cycle of false hopes and expectations that has historically accompanied the introduction of technology into education. Instead,…