This qualitative study examines the progress of a rural New Jersey school in addressing longstanding racial conflict after implementing a Youth Participatory Action Research project two years prior. Here we take up the thread as students continued to develop activities meant to increase awareness of ongoing issues, and as adults used professional…

Rural youth are now graduating from high school at rates comparable to their peers in urban and suburban schools, however far fewer rural youth pursue postsecondary education. Using a comparative case study method, we explore postsecondary preparation efforts at three rural school districts. Each case represents a different classification of…

Today, many principals are assigned to struggling schools with the mandate to quickly change the academic trajectory of the students. Interviews were conducted to gain an understanding of how principals and core teachers working at rural middle schools under chronic academic stress perceived the increased academic expectations at their schools.…

There is a scarcity of research in contemporary rural studies in Canada, particularly pertaining to education. Discrepancies exist in definitions of rural and rurality. What is the meaning of rural, and how do educators define their teaching praxes? This study explores how one music teacher negotiates her role identity in a rural setting through…

In this paper, the author explores the rural school context and its teacher leaders as a third transformational leadership prototype adding to Leithwood and Jantzi's (1999) two transformational leadership prototypes of females and new teachers in the elementary school. The author helps illuminate new understanding of rural schools and their highly…

This study analyzed teachers' beliefs and attitudes affecting job satisfaction in one small, rural Florida school district. This mixed methods study included a self-administered survey of Likert-type items measuring 20 factors for job satisfaction and individual semi-structured interviews and focus groups. Several issues related to dissatisfaction…

Some of the most impressive practices in teaching had their beginnings in rural schools and include open education, learning centers, peer tutoring, partner learning, mainstreaming, core curriculum, individualized instruction, acceleration, and minimum competency. (BRR)

The requirements of the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 (NCLB) have presented special challenges and opportunities for rural schools (Reeves, 2003). Researchers have suggested that one way rural schools may be able to overcome these challenges is through an increase in the level of technology integration in their school (Collins & Dewees,…

Surveyed 67 teachers from small school districts to determine their level of interest in being involved in decision-making activities associated with 15 selected principalship-type duties. Activities attracting the highest level of interest relate to the teacher and the classroom such as discipline, curriculum, parents, expenditures, and class…

Develops a proposed model for the establishment of rural teacher centers which calls for and defines teacher educator involvement, establishes interdependence between rural school districts, and depends on local teachers for direction. (Author)

A study examined the changing nature of teacher leadership roles in six small rural schools without formal teacher leadership roles. Interviews with 28 teachers and principals indicate that small rural schools might see teacher leadership in unique ways. Most frequently mentioned role categories involved emergence of teacher leadership due to…

Middle level teachers and administrators working in small or rural schools often face unique obstacles in implementing recommended middle level practices. From sharing staff and schedules with other school sites, to inappropriate instructional techniques, to a general lack of understanding of the middle level philosophy, these obstacles can be a…

Teachers at a rural elementary school slated for consolidation, worked with teacher education students during a full-day teaching experience that resulted in both classroom teachers and university students expanding their understanding of the teaching culture. The benefits of this experience included easing teacher transition to a new school…

Distance education can improve rural education by alleviating geographic isolation of small rural schools and increasing educational opportunities for both students and teachers. In Australia, distance education technologies include telecourses for staff development and an electronic mail and bulletin board system linking schools. (LP)

A model of service delivery to rural handicapped children trains classroom teachers onsite to be "Cooperative Extension Service Agents" within their schools. University faculty bring graduate coursework to the school site and "Agent" teachers provide special education inservice assistance to fellow teachers, facilitating local…