This article details a Title II grant funded professional development project for rural STEM teachers. For this project teachers were grouped in online professional learning communities (PLCs). Participants shared teaching videos and received feedback from their group members and university faculty. In a face-to-face workshop, participants were…

A model, appropriate for small and rural schools, offers an alternative to consolidation. Through its use, four Minnesota school districts have retained aspects of local school tradition and have provided improved educational opportunities to their high school students. (CM)

Describes the development of entrepreneurship programs for youth in rural Nebraska and South Dakota. Discusses the cooperative efforts of four institutions and organizations to promote entrepreneurship education, school-based activities tied to entrepreneurship and community development, and the importance of peer networks and community awareness…

To be committed to family involvement, teachers need to see results and receive support. Administrators can focus on results by exposing teachers to positive outcomes of family involvement through literature and successful teachers' experiences. Administrators can provide support through planning, allocating personnel and resources to help,…

Small rural school districts can better serve the needs of all students by using a regional approach in the coordination of comprehensive programs and services. (CM)

In addition to her "never give up on any student" philosophy, Lois Rodgers has created an integrated, thematic curricular design that uses the brain's methods of transferring knowledge to long-term retention. She collaborates with community members, teachers, and students to improve teaching and learning. Her school is recognized…

Describes the National Science Foundation's Appalachian Rural Systemic Initiative (ARSI) to improve student performance in mathematics, science, and technology in 66 Appalachian counties. Discusses ARSI's principles of systemic change; the individual school as the unit of change; and ARSI activities in four areas: catalyst school and teacher…

Describes setting, rationale, organization, schools and communities, activities, and evaluation of a model small school cluster begun in 1981 in South Dakota. Discusses issues in implementing cluster strategies: goals, commitments, size, location, outside support, organizational structure, leadership, meeting schedules, faculty involvement,…

A nationwide study of 205 K-12 unit schools found above-average test scores, postsecondary attendance, and high school completion rates. Both satellite and Internet systems were used in two-fifths of these schools. Single-school districts spent more per pupil on unit schools, employed more cooperative strategies, and were more fiscally…

Consistent with their name and mission, rural community colleges should be committed to building community. This can be accomplished through comprehensive curricula; extracurricular events; community education programs; continuing education; partnering with businesses and schools to encourage local youth to prepare for college; service learning;…

Describes the Utah, Colorado, Arizona, New Mexico Rural Systemic Initiative (UCAN RSI), which aims to improve and integrate science, mathematics, and technology education for the primarily Native American and Hispanic students of the Four Corners region. Discusses UCAN RSI's focus on community engagement, cultural sensitivity and relevance, and…

A study examining collaboration between two small rural school districts in Kansas found that school boards and superintendents from both districts encouraged and supported continuous collaboration, that collaboration supported more comprehensive curricular and extracurricular programs, and that collaboration allowed districts to maintain their…

Strategies are presented for systematic planning and teacher collaboration for inclusion of students with disabilities in rural general education classrooms. This planning and ongoing support is essential for the student to be a full member of the class rather than just physically present. A case study illustrates the positive effects of such a…

By focusing on advantages inherent in what are typically considered disadvantages for rural schools, 14 rural, southern California school districts cooperated in implementing a successful inquiry-based elementary science program. Isolation and low population density resulted in a stable teaching force familiar with the community, and the area's…

The Hale County (Alabama) school system and the University of Alabama formed a long-range collaborative relationship targeted at meeting staffing shortages and improving science instruction in the rural county. Statistically significant gains were achieved in the science teachers' mastery of content, teaching methodology, and attitudes toward…