Describes results of a 1981 survey of 162 small rural schools in Montana. Notes that teachers cited educational finance as the main rural education problem and that Montana's rural teachers receive few incentives. Reports results pertaining to preparing teachers for rural settings, curriculum development, school-community relationships, and…

Recalls highlights on student days in a one-room country school. Describes school maintenance routines, individualized instruction, school programs, and holiday celebrations. Concludes that alumni of one-room schools are proud of their heritage and feel that the education they received reflects the nation's finest values. (JHZ)

Rural school district reorganization and school consolidation are put into perspective by reviewing the large population increases that fueled small-school growth in the Great Plains, 1870-1930. Since the Dust Bowl and Great Depression, population losses, improvements in transportation, and arguments advocating economies of scale and increased…

A study examined factors inherent in Montana's smallest schools that attract and retain teachers. Surveys of 126 elementary teachers in 107 small school districts found that a rural background and proximity to family or home were influential in accepting employment. The classroom experience, particularly their relationship with students, and…