Visits to 25 small rural school districts in 21 states revealed three prevailing myths about equal education held by teachers and administrators: (1) some children can't learn; (2) providing the same education to all students is providing equal education; and (3) "we have no problems" in providing equal educational opportunities.…

This presentation describes a curriculum revitalization project begun in Spring, 1983 in Baxter Springs, Kansas. The cooperative "effective schools" effort used a broad base of support to establish a director of curriculum, create new school-university ties, focus a reading K-12 curriculum improvement effort, and hold instructional…

This handbook draws attention to the problem of dropouts in Massachusetts and offers solutions to increase the chances that all students will succeed. It suggests the need for systemic, school-based changes to foster learning environments that meet the emotional, social, physical, and cognitive needs of all students and staff. The handbook is…

Developing countries in Asia and the Pacific are undergoing a critical period in rural development. As part of a plan for integrated rural development, education has shifted its priorities to equalizing access to educational opportunities and improving quality of instruction. Representatives from Bangladesh, China, India, Iran, Malaysia, Nepal,…

This document is a summary of presentations and strategies offered at the 1986 National Invitational Conference on Rural Adult Postsecondary Education. The conference, organized by the Action Agenda Project and co-sponsored by the National University Continuing Education Association, explored the educational needs of rural adults and designed…

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…

The rural population constitutes a large segment of the total population. Using 1970 census estimates, the total rural population was over 53.8 million people. Of these, 46.4% was less than 25 years of age. Of these 25 million rural youth, about 10.5 million were located in the South and 7.4 million in the North-Central Region. The Northeast and…

Experience-based learning has been evident in the Chinese educational system since the 1930s. Following the Long March in 1934-35, the Chinese Communists introduced a nonformal, experience-based educational system in North Shensi province. This system included drama groups in the countryside to educate peasants, classes in factories, and…

Presents strategies developed for a National Science Foundation grant to improve rural science education by helping rural teachers design an action plan for instructional improvement based on their ideals and goals coupled with a realistic assessment of their teaching situation including the strengths and weaknesses of the rural setting. (JHZ)

Since September 1995, the Utah, Colorado, Arizona, New Mexico-Rural Systemic Initiative (UCAN-RSI) has promoted systemic reform to improve science, technology, and mathematics education for all rural students in its states. Initially, UCAN targeted 159,000 students in over 430 rural, primarily American Indian or Hispanic, communities. These…

As part of a larger study of systemic educational reform in rural Alaska, this case study examines reform efforts underway in New Stuyahok, a community of 440 people in southwestern Alaska. The population is almost entirely Yup'ik Eskimo. The K-12 school enrolls about 150 students. In 1992, Alaska Onward to Excellence (AOTE) established district…

Low student achievement for Montana's Native American students has been a recognized fact since the beginning of the reservation period. The current push for mathematics and science education reform, coupled with federal and state accountability mandates, enhances opportunities for learning but also challenges Native students' culture and…

In 1995 the National Science Foundation funded the Alaska Rural System Initiative (RSI), a joint effort of the Alaska Federation of Natives and the University of Alaska Fairbanks. Among its goals, the RSI aims to increase the presence of Alaska Native knowledge and perspectives in all areas of science and education in rural Alaska, develop…

Public education was introduced in the United States at the beginning of the 19th century to replace the informal community-based education system that had broken down as a result of immigration and war. At the beginning of the 20th century, as America changed from a largely rural agricultural society to the modern industrial economy, education…

This investigation undertakes to analyze and interpret the character and content of State courses of study for rural elementary schools. It presents in tabular form the aims, subject matter, and materials most frequently recommended in these courses. It seeks to point out the great need for wisely selected materials of instruction and for changes…