Research is just beginning to describe with precision determinants of racial and ethnic achievement gaps. Work by Reardon, Kalogrides, and Shores found that factors such as parental income, parental education, and segregation are the strongest predictors of achievement gaps. In this study we expand this line of inquiry to examine the role of…

In response to a growing dialogue at the local, state and national levels around the idea of restructuring teacher pay to include performance measures, the American Association of School Administrators surveyed a randomly selected sample of its members to gauge their feedback and interest in pay-for-performance programs. AASA launched this survey…

Home schooling has the potential to greatly impact the education system but has received little attention compared to other educational trends. This report draws on the 1994 October Current Population Survey and the 1996 and 1999 National Household Education Surveys (NHES) to determine the extent of home schooling and the social, demographic, and…

This paper uses survey data to explore the extent to which changing generations and greater contact with women school administrators can influence public prejudice toward women administrators and override the impact of regional and educational differences on these attitudes. (Author)

This report presents the annual survey of public opinion in Pennsylvania. Telephone surveys were conducted with 1,744 people whose telephone numbers were randomly selected from all listed telephone numbers. Results of the survey indicate that: (1) Pennsylvanians strongly favor mandatory birth control counseling for welfare mothers, but opinion is…

This report discusses the outcomes of a study that examined the influence and additive effects of student demographic characteristics on student placement in special education programs in Michigan. Using a combination of outside data and the Michigan Department of Education Student Database (1999), statewide findings indicate that taken…

Examines demographic information on all-white school districts in New York. Surveys perceptions of superintendents in nonminority school districts about the meaning of "minority" and "disadvantaged" and about the impact of a modified social studies curriculum that calls for the inclusion of minority contributions to American…

A review of rural and urban demographics reveals that rural areas are experiencing increasing diversity in their student population, decreasing sense of community, and increasing similarity to the challenges faced by urban and suburban schools. As the distinctions between urban and rural areas become less pronounced, will the benefits of rural…

This report summarizes demographic information about rural populations in the United States and discusses a variety of issues that are relevant to rural youth poverty. Although recent poverty rates for rural areas were higher than urban poverty rates, the media and political forces have almost completely neglected the rural poor. Extensive census…

This report presents numerical data for 1990-92 on demographic, social, and educational variables, comparing rural and urban areas of Pennsylvania. Two types of comparisons are provided: (1) rural, urban influence, and urban groupings, based on population density typology (people per square mile and size of the largest community in the county);…

This report focuses on the strengths and weaknesses of North Carolina, its future and potential, and the roles that the citizens and the state government play in moving the state forward. There are multiple realities within North Carolina. The average income has increased, unemployment rates have dropped, and educational levels have risen. The…

This study investigated the ecological factors that affect structural school reform implementation in Israel. The sample used was the whole student population that appeared in the 1972 census. By raising educational achievement levels, restructuring the learning sequence, and rezoning ethnically and economically segregated areas to promote…

The five states of the Southwest--Arkansas, Louisiana, New Mexico, Oklahoma, and Texas--represent great diversity in economies, politics, educational settings, and resources. Despite this diversity, research indicates that rural small schools are concerned about the same issues as education as a whole. The purpose of this report is to present the…

An economic model of educational supply and demand was tested using cross-sectional data for the 95 Virginia county school districts. Three equations were hypothesized: (1) the quantity supply functions; (2) the quantity demand function; and (3) the quality demand function. The variables in the equations are education expenditures, percent of 9th…

This paper examines trends that are currently reshaping rural America and rural education. It reviews the debate about how best to improve rural school districts, suggesting that what is needed is a better understanding of the changing context in which this country's public school enterprise is taking place. The paper begins by reviewing the work…