Dropping out of high school seriously impacts an individual's job opportunities, income potential and employment stability. To minimize those risks, individuals can earn a General Educational Development (GED) credential. Researchers have studied the impact of obtaining a GED on candidates' lives and found that the credential affects their…

"Why Rural Matters" is the fourth in a series of biennial reports analyzing the importance of rural education in each of the 50 states and calling attention to the urgency with which policymakers in each state should address rural education issues. The researchers framed this report around five gauges measuring: (1) the importance of…

This booklet profiles key economic and social features of rural Arkansas. Data are drawn from reports by the U.S. Census Bureau, the U.S. Department of Commerce, and Arkansas state agencies. About half of Arkansas' people live in rural areas, and most of these live in open country (not incorporated areas) and are completely dependent on county…

To provide information on characteristics of rural and small schools in Region VII of the U.S. Department of Education, this profile presents selected demographic data on schools in Iowa, Kansas, Missouri, and Nebraska. A narrative section discusses the purpose of the report, definitions of rural and nonmetropolitan classifications, percentages of…

This book aims to acquaint researchers, primarily in local organizations, with data they can use to describe and better understand rural communities. Chapter 1 describes a few basic data concepts for readers who are not experienced data users. Chapter 2 provides an overview of major data sources that can be used to describe rural communities,…

Alternatives for occupational curricula at Northland Pioneer College are discussed in relation to Navaho County economic resources. Approximately 85 percent of the occupations in Navaho County do not require the baccalaureate degree and thus fall within the realm of community college educational responsibility. Because of the sparse population,…

Graphs, data tables, maps, and written descriptions give a statistical overview of rural Pennsylvania. A section on rural demographics covers population changes, racial and ethnic makeup, age cohorts, and families and income. Pennsylvania's rural population, the nation's largest, has increased more than its urban population since 1950, with the…

This report details results of the 1998 Nebraska Rural Poll, which asked rural Nebraskans their opinions on taxes, school finance, and school consolidation. Survey responses were received from 4,196 residents of Nebraska's 87 non-metropolitan counties. When asked about the tax structure, most respondents favored changing the current distribution…

Nonmetro (rural) blacks continue to lag behind metro (urban and suburban) blacks and whites of all residence categories on rates of graduation from high school and college, functional literacy, preprimary and college enrollment, and adult education. Nonmetro blacks are also less likely to be in the labor force, hold white collar jobs, or have…

This report constitutes a step toward designing an integrated strategy for rural poverty reduction in Brazil. The report contains an updated and detailed profile of the rural poor in the northeast and southeast regions of Brazil; identifies key components of rural poverty in those regions; and proposes a five-pronged strategic framework in which…

Although rural Texas residents have some access to medical care, it is often limited by poverty, lack of health insurance or coverage under public programs, cultural barriers, racial discrimination, and limited education. It is inaccurate to say that rural residents receive health care if health is defined in terms of environmental, physical,…

Nearly one in three of America's school-age children attend public schools in rural areas or small towns, and more than one in six go to school in the very smallest communities. These children, their schools, and their communities matter, and they deserve more consideration than they get in the national debate over education policy. This report…

This report shows the rural disparities in the baseline data of the Birth and Kindergarten Cohorts of the national Early Childhood Longitudinal Study (ECLS). The National Center for Rural Early Childhood Learning Initiatives, known as Rural Early Childhood, commissioned Child Trends to perform the analysis of key indicators of child well-being and…

This document consists of ten consecutive issues of the serial "Rural Trends and Conditions," extending from Spring 1995 through February 1999. Issues contain information and statistical data on rural economic and social conditions. Beginning with the Fall 1995 issue, issues exhibit repeating themes such as "Financial…

This publication provides a detailed description of Australia's vocational education and training (VET) system in the context of Australians living in rural and remote regions who undertook some form of VET in 1997--about one-third of all students who participated in training in public institutions. The nine sections of the report cover the…