The National Center for Rural Education Research Networks (NCRERN) seeks to increase opportunity for rural students through the power of actionable data and evidence. NCRERN partners with networks of rural school districts to generate and evaluate strategies for improving student outcomes. For more information about NCRERN's work, see the…

"Rural Education in America" provides a comprehensive framework for understanding the diversity and complexity of rural communities in the United States and for helping rural educators implement and evaluate successful place-based programs tailored for students and their families. Written by educators who grew up in rural America and…

In this descriptive and comparative study, we present results highlighting the complexity and scope of the challenges facing rural districts as they navigate the changing demographics of the students and families they serve. Rapid increases in the number and concentration of racially, culturally, and linguistically diverse students in rural areas…

Read It Again (RIA) is a curriculum for pre-kindergarten (pre-K) classrooms that targets children's development of language and literacy skills. A cluster randomized trial was conducted in which 104 pre-K classrooms in the Appalachian region of the United States were randomly assigned to one of three study conditions: Control (n = 30), RIA only…

Place-based mathematics education (PBME) has the potential to engage students with the mathematics inherent in the local land, culture, and community. However, research has identified daunting barriers to this pedagogy, especially in abstract mathematics courses such as algebra and beyond. In this study, 15 graduates of a doctoral program in rural…

The teaching of mathematics, which arguably is so abstract as to transcend place and community and even culture (according at least to a Platonic view of mathematics), will seem to some observers particularly ill-suited to instruction in place- or community- or culture-based approaches. Nevertheless, current thinking in mathematics education,…

Compares 1986 and 1991 surveys of discipline trends and practices among rural teachers in southwestern Ohio. Major changes include increased perceptions that the school board or superintendent determines discipline plans and decreased endorsements of corporal punishment. (LP)

Research indicates that adolescents with disabilities need high-quality transitional programs to make the transition to work and independent living, and that barriers inherent in rural areas and schools make service delivery for transition extremely difficult. Current employment patterns suggest that small rural businesses and rural entrepreneurs…

Different areas and regions of the nation have characteristically different rural high school systems due to differences in socioeconomic status of the residents, racial or ethnic membership, and family background. Differences in staffing patterns, enrollment levels, and school budgets are also characteristics that help to differentiate rural and…

The effect of four Occupational Work Adjustment (OWA) programs on risk factors leading to students dropping out of high school was assessed. Data were gathered from four OWA teachers in high schools in Northwest Ohio; information was provided for 27 individual students and 2 groups of 28 students each for the 1992-93 school year. The following…

Despite increasing graduation requirements and the limited vocational offerings in rural schools, many rural high school students still enroll in vocational education courses. This study examined factors influencing the decisions of rural Ohio high school students to select vocational education courses. In spring 1988, an interview and…

A study of 243 beginning teachers in Ohio rural settings explored relationships between teachers' effectiveness ratings and two preservice factors--undergraduate college grade point average and rural, suburban, or urban high school backgrounds. A highly significant relationship existed between grade point average and teacher effectiveness but not…

Presents findings from a two-year evaluation of a family literacy program in rural Appalachian Ohio. Demonstrates positive results for both impact/outcome and process objectives. Highlights an extensive network of interpersonal and interagency relationships that maximized resources and supported families as they changed. Suggests the importance of…

This study examined barriers facing rural schools in serving students at-risk and the perceptions of teachers, parents, and administrators related to the difficulty in changing these barriers. Seventeen rural school districts representing 5 counties in southern Ohio participated in the study. The survey collected 846 completed responses from…

A study examining migrant students' needs and the teacher's role interviewed seven teachers at a rural Ohio summer migrant education program. Findings focus on the need for teachers to learn and understand migrant culture, integrate it into activities and daily interactions in the classroom, and be willing to reflect on stereotypes and personal…