Planning and management suggestions are offered to administrators developing gifted programs in rural settings. Emphasis on making effective use of limited time and personnel, creativity in financing and transportation, and dealing sensitively with community feelings. (Author/DB)

Gives 1986 National Rural and Small Schools Consortium Conference definitions for rural school district, small school district, and remote/isolated school, providing common terms for communicating with legislators, federal/state policymakers, and researchers. Emphasizes "ruralness" as a continuum affected by the interaction of…

What is known about rural science education is derived from perceptions with little empirical data available. Science educators need to develop a database related to rural education to better meet needs of rural children. Available data should be analyzed to provided a framework on which rural science education may grow. (BRR)

Identifies unique problems associated with developing gifted programs in rural schools. Makes suggestions to administrators concerning proper emphasis on program planning, sensitivity during the identification procedures, financial and transportation difficulties, and fostering community support. 8 references. (SV)

This paper discusses issues in instructional material development for rural gifted children in Australia. Issues include who should develop curriculum materials, what form should enrichment materials take, which theoretical frameworks are appropriate, and how should content be selected. Interdisciplinary materials used in developing a unit in…

Discusses barriers to integration of handicapped youngsters into school systems: historical legacy of special education; community attitudes; lack of trained educators; disincentives in state funding formulas. Describes regional resource centers providing technical assistance to state agencies, grants for projects on transition from school to…

Describes conditions typically facing teachers in the United States's 835 one-teacher schools, reviews drawbacks and advantages of educating children in one-room schools, discusses the dependency of such schools on community support, and assesses briefly the impact on such schools of recent trends in demographics and technology. (PGD)

A music teacher talks about the hard lessons he learned in his first year of teaching in a small, rural, elementary and secondary school. Student discipline problems, poor class attendance, exhaustion, and problems with parents reduced his initial idealism and optimism. (RM)

To determine the extent to which states are able to assess their provision of services to typically underserved populations, this study interviewed 16 Part H (Individuals with Disabilities Education Act) state coordinators. Major findings indicated: (1) six states identified their rural population as most underserved and six identified one or more…

This article emphasizes the need to develop special education policy and practice appropriate for rural students. The article examines recommended practices for improving delivery of services to rural schools, services readily available to rural families and communities, and the role of the rural special educator. (Author/PB)

Offers background on rural entrepreneurship and incubation in the United States, with particular focus on rural incubators at community colleges and regional incubation systems. Explains how incubators, which provide shared services and business/management assistance for tenant companies, differ from other entrepreneurial development strategies.…

This article proposes the use of special education knowledge within a general education framework. Research on federal policies to achieve educational equity has shown that special education policies have created elements of an unequal educational system. Rural educators need to move beyond "special education" in rural settings, to address the…

This paper discusses the question of standardization and educational equity among rural school systems and offers three "fundamental challenges" for educators. The first challenge is to take seriously the power of education and to resist the temptation to reduce expectations placed on education and educators. The power of education is…

Discusses profound effect PL 99-457 will have upon rural school districts as they attempt to comply by providing adequate services to handicapped youngsters from birth to age five. Addresses shortage of qualified teachers, coordination and funding of services, opportunities for interagency collaboration, incentives to serve, and preparation…

Offers three examples of how low cost and innovative methods can be planned to bring expertise and resources to rural school districts: hosting a state/regional educational conference, arranging local evening classes from nearby small colleges/universities, and building/maintaining working contacts with computer software representatives. (NEC)