This study utilized early reading assessment data from a randomized trial of 210 urban and rural schools in Texas to examine contextual effects on risk prediction in first and second grade. The primary objective was to examine the roles of (a) individual differences, (b) the grade 1 classroom, and (c) the pairing of first and second grade teachers…

The Second Step Violence Prevention Program was implemented and evaluated in a rural elementary school with a population of mostly poor, white students. Teacher ratings indicated that there were significant improvements in ratings of social competence and antisocial behaviors at the intervention school when compared with students at the…

Considerable attention has been given to organizational effectiveness of public sector organizations at all levels: local, state, and federal. Public education has not escaped scrutiny. Current examinations of the effectiveness, efficiency, and quality of education are more intense than that of other public sector organizations. The organizational…

Concerns are cited regarding definitional, identification, and programing issues for emotionally disturbed students in rural Alaskan schools. Problems with the current state definition include its vagueness, reliance on noneducational experts, and implications that psychological or psychiatric treatment is necessary. Lack of resource room…

Rural education may be entering a renaissance after 60 years of neglect. Improvements include: multidistrict shared services with special attention given to exceptional persons; new delivery systems; more relevant training for school personnel; and effective dissemination of successfully established school practices. (CJ)

Research on staff development in rural and non-rural settings provides guidelines for effective practice. Research on rural staff development, however, must be increased and become more systematic and focused. (JD)

Economic restructuring, low wages, unemployment, outmigration, and high poverty rates affect rural and small-town schools, which enroll nearly 40 percent of the school-age population. Increasing proportions of rural school enrollments are children at risk and in need of special programs. (SK)

Six curriculum-based measures of math performance were developed for use with 4-year old preschool children. Measures included counting objects, selecting numbers, naming numbers, selecting shapes, counting, and visual discrimination. Technical properties of probe scores were assessed in two rural public preschool programs. Alternate forms,…

Rural schools by structure and philosophy match the expectations and description of a learning community. Establishing a learning community in a rural school can create an atmosphere that encourages committed educators to grow through trust, respect, and collegiality. Recommendations are given for establishing high quality, ongoing professional…

Dunne (1978) suggested three major tasks of the 1980s which confront those concerned with rural issues: (1) basic research on small school problems, practices, and unique features; (2) curriculum and program development which builds on these features; and (3) elaboration and implementation of models for funding and regulating small schools.…

Rural Underpinnings for Resiliency and Linkages (RURAL) is an example of a Safe Schools/Healthy Students project. Using a public health approach to increase school safety and promote healthy behaviors, RURAL introduced strategies designed to provide universal prevention for the school population, early intervention for at-risk children and…

Describes Project LEAP, a program designed to identify and meet the needs of rural high school students who have gifts, talents, or high potential. Provides information collected through interviews with project staff and written reports from participating students. Discusses the project's four conceptual goals: community collaboration; partnership…

Students in about 100 schools in 10 states attend classes 4 days a week, for all or part of the school year. A growing number of rural schools, faced with declining enrollments and diminishing state aid, are experimenting with this schedule. Benefits of the schedule include lower energy and transportation costs and lower absenteeism among students…

During the 1980s in the province of Saskatchewan there have been many initiatives from government, trustee and teacher organizations, universities, and school systems to respond to dramatic changes in rural school communities. Between 1979 and 1987 rural schools experienced a decline in student enrollment of 12%. To deal with the changing profiles…

Refutes an article that appeared in the August issue of "The American School Board Journal," which argued that middle-level education provides a rationale for consolidating rural schools. Presents research findings and describes the middle-level philosophy to show that developmentally responsive middle-level schools do not foster school…