A focus on improving teacher quality and student achievement led many states to implement teacher effectiveness systems. The Charlotte Danielson Framework for Teaching was adapted by Kentucky as the Teacher Professional Growth and Effectiveness System (TPGES). This study examined educator viewpoints concerning the impact of TPGES on improving…

Schools exist for the sole purpose of academic achievement, and within every school exists a unique culture that every student navigates and absorbs. It is reasonable to assume a student's environment and the expectations set forth in that environment may have an effect on their academic achievement. The purpose of this study was to determine the…

This study uses a randomized design to assess the impact of the Balanced Leadership program on principal leadership, instructional climate, principal efficacy, staff turnover, and student achievement in a sample of rural northern Michigan schools. Participating principals report feeling more efficacious, using more effective leadership practices,…

Research supports the importance of effective district superintendents. A meta-analysis conducted by Marzano and Waters (2009) found that five characteristics were common in districts with effective superintendents. Twenty-seven studies met their criteria for the meta-analysis. Their primary research question was: "What is the strength of…

Post secondary education is a life long dream for many students with and without intellectual disabilities. This dream is particularly difficult to attain for students with intellectual disabilities living in rural and remote communities with little access to social, academic, or employment opportunities. This article describes the philosophy,…

In Indonesian primary schools, sex education is implicitly integrated into various related subjects, such as science, biology, social studies and religion. The technical facts of ovulation and sperm are mentioned in biology, although little or no connection is made between this process and sexual intercourse. By the end of primary school,…

The major purpose of this study is to find out the level of Achievement motivation of rural and urban secondary school students in Ernakulam district in Kerala state. The data was collected by means of Deo-Mohan Achievement Motivation (N-Ach) Scale on 200 samples of students in various schools in Thripunithura Sub-district selected through…

Using national data from the 2007-08 School and Staffing Survey, we compared the relationships between parental involvement and school outcomes related to adequate yearly progress (AYP) in urban, suburban, and rural schools. Parent-initiated parental involvement demonstrated significantly positive relationships with both making AYP and staying off…

A number of research studies have indicated that issues with school climate may be a source of the low academic and social success of students in the public school system. A poor school climate is often associated with low-performing schools; a positive school climate can increase student achievement and other indicators of school success such as…

This study examined models of homework interest at the secondary school level to assess whether homework interest varies across race and school location and whether the influence of race on homework interest depends on characteristics of the context (e.g., school location and teacher feedback). Student- and class-level predictors of homework…

Many rural youth leave their small home towns, at least temporarily, to pursue education and work opportunities after high school. A strong sense of purpose will likely help these young people navigate their transition to adulthood away from the comforts of home. A case study of high school students in a remote rural county in the Pacific…

We conducted a survey covering 20% of villages with 200-1000 population in rural Guinea-Bissau. We interviewed household heads, care-givers of children, and their teachers and schools. We analysed results from 9,947 children, aged 7-17, tested for literacy and numeracy competency. Only 27% of children were able to add two single digits, and just…

The purpose of this longitudinal case study was to develop a process and structure for adopting and leading critical school reform initiatives within a rural North Dakota pre-kindergarten through fourth grade elementary school. Elementary principals can use this process and structure to benefit staff, and ultimately, to improve student academic…

This study addresses the preparedness of principals in ensuring the success of special education programs. Current research and literature confirm that principals play a critical role in the success of special education programs, teacher retention in special education, and legal compliance of special education programs. How well prepared a…

Background: The primary aim was to examine correlated growth trajectories and reciprocal effects between academic achievement and drug use over the course of junior high school. Methods: One hundred and three male and 98 female students from 3 rural junior high schools were surveyed 4 times over the course of 3 years. Dual trajectory latent growth…