The role of functional literacy, linked to employment, leads to a narrow view of rural learners' need both economically and socially. The drive for individuals to take responsibility for their own learning and development is, indeed, a good thing. However, the burden of guilt felt by those who are unable, or unwilling, to achieve the standards set…

This paper attempts to re-examine the role of the agricultural educator and the agricultural researcher during the decade of the 1970's. Based on the national goals, the magnitude of the problems of providing adequate programs, and the findings of research, the authors contend that agricultural education should assume the responsibility for…

Synthesizes first comprehensive national effort to derive empirical data base for establishing rural education research priorities. Reports rating of 46 research questions prioritized into 13 themes by 461 rural education researchers/practitioners. Presents rank ordered themes including rural school effectiveness, governance/finance, staff…

The first part of a four-part analysis and assessment of Pakistan's system of primary education, this document presents summary conclusions and recommendations. Despite gains in primary school attendance and recent good economic performance, Pakistan's educational base remains so weak as to constitute a serious threat to continued economic growth.…

This paper summarizes a symposium on issues in rural education held at the 1996 European Conference on Educational Research held in Seville, Spain. The symposium aimed to gather contextual information about rural primary schools and included presentations from researchers in Sweden, Finland, Scotland, Ireland, and Greece. Participants from the…

This document contains the 11 issues of the newsletter "Rural Policy Matters" published in 2001. Issues examine recent educational research on small and rural schools; report on court litigation related to rural school finance, local advocacy efforts in support of rural schools, and the condition of rural school facilities; outline policy issues…

With an area of 110,540 square miles and a population of less than one million people, Nevada experiences educational problems that are not simply rural but remote--vast distances, geographic barriers, lack of services, untrained personnel, inadequate funding, etc. The Nevada Rural School District Alliance was formed in 1983 to improve the quality…

Rural education is finally gaining the attention it has been denied for so long. Slight gains, such as federal recognition, have been made. This has been a worldwide trend. A study of rural education conducted by the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development details the state of worldwide rural education in a fifteen point outline,…

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…

This report's introductory section notes that both rural and gifted education have received relatively little funding and national attention, and few studies have considered the two issues in tandem. As a first step in the process of strengthening the education of gifted rural students, this report assesses the current state of gifted rural…

To have an impact on rural schools and communities, education researchers and reformers must stop approaching rural issues from an urban perspective, adopt a perspective that values rurality, and address issues specific to the rural context. Rural schools have contributed to the depletion of rural communities by focusing on individual mobility and…

This document contains the 12 issues of the newsletter "Rural Policy Matters" published in 2000. Issues examine recent educational research on small and rural schools; report on state standards and court litigation related to rural schools, the efforts of communities to save their local schools, and the condition of rural facilities;…

A self-administered questionnaire was used to assess the degree to which teacher training programs in 4-year public colleges and universities include rural education as part of their teacher education program. Questionnaires were mailed to college of education deans and chairpersons at each of the 473 4-year public colleges and universities in the…

This paper explores changes needed in the focus and commitment of educational research to better reflect issues relevant to rural schools and their communities. Historically, educational researchers have focused on national or cosmopolitan concerns in efforts to develop widely applicable procedures for school improvement. However, improving rural…

Non-metropolitan Australia is diverse in terms of population density, educational experiences of the population, and the occupations and industries it supports. Rural adults are less likely to have post-school qualifications and work in manufacturing, property and business services, or finance and insurance. They are more likely to be older, have…