In this commentary, we revisit "NCLB and the Demand for Highly Qualified Teachers: Challenges and Solutions for Rural Schools," an article we published in this journal in 2005. We consider the predictions we made then about the impact of the Highly Qualified Teacher mandate on special education teacher (SET) shortages in rural states and…

This article is a response to Randy Yerrick and Joseph Johnson's article "Negotiating White Science in Rural Black America: A Case for Navigating the Landscape of Teacher Knowledge Domains". They write about research conducted by Yerrick in which videos of his teaching practice as a White educator in a predominately Black rural classroom were…

From the nefarious achievement gaps, to the racial isolation in increasingly segregated schools; from the digital divide that results in kids not having access to computers, to the poverty gulf that results in kids not having homes; from boys' reading difficulties and girls' problems with math, to the disparities among rural, suburban, and urban…

A violent conflict between Maoist insurgents and the national government has engulfed Nepal for most of the last decade, a situation that has been complicated by deep-seated instability at the highest levels of the government itself. Even with the declaration of a ceasefire in 2006, violence endures in pockets of lawless banditry and unrest at the…

Much progress has been made in the quest for better rural schools. In 1977, People United for Rural Education (PURE) began its work as an advocate for rural education and small schools. In 1979, PURE was notified that it was to receive the National Volunteer Activist Award. In 1980, the Rural/Regional Education Association became the Rural…

To determine whether reform initiatives should be adopted by rural schools, the standards of equity and quality should be applied. Specific criteria for implementing the standards can be derived from the problems and strengths of rural schools, in terms of input, process, and outcome indicators. (SK)

Examines allegations of discrimination (against Jews), bias (against rural students), and corruption (favoring the rich and well-connected) in the admissions practices of Soviet universities. (CMG)

Describes certain historical and cultural issues associated with the low academic achievement of Alaska Native students in Alaska public schools. Argues that high-stakes testing alone will not improve the academic performance of Alaska Native students; in fact, it may exacerbate the problem. Recommends the adoption of a new generation of…

Some rural communities are growing, some are withering. Proposed federal legislation aimed at assisting rural schools is reviewed, and the fact that Congress has not yet fully funded the Individuals with Disabilities Act of 1975 is noted. When the school is the center of the community and when that school is adequately funded and respected, the…

Because 98% of Americans live outside of urban areas, the future of American education in the decades ahead is closely linked to what happens in our small towns and rural schools. Equal educational opportunity for all students entails equal resource distribution and commitment by educators and communities. (Author/CM)

Reviews educational concerns in Sri Lanka, including the dropout rate, children who have never enrolled in schools, inequalities between urban and rural schools, the elitist nature of university education, and higher education's affirmative action area quota system for the ethnic majority. (CMG)

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…

Education in rural schools is alive, working to provide quality education through different organizational configurations, and experiencing many changes as it strives to meet the needs of all rural children for a quality education. In the nurturing of rural schools, the State must assist in making it possible to adequately finance justifiable…

Place makes learning relevant and underlies identity. When schools give kids tools and expectations and integrate them into their curricular and extracurricular activities, the school becomes a creative force in a community. Then students can produce outcomes that demonstrate their abilities, enhance the reputation of their schools, and make a…

The quality of education received by children in the southern states will be greatly impacted by technological change, which will present educators with both unprecedented opportunities and substantial risks. As the four model programs described in this paper illustrate, advances in telecommunications and computer hardware and software can be used…