Island studies have rarely focused on the role of small schools on offshore islands. Island schools are often impacted by the decisions of national, regional and local educational authorities, particularly in today's world where diseconomic and disbenefit arguments highlight the non-viability of small schools. Such schools are seen as unable to…

Despite significant progress over the past fifteen years associated with School Mapping Restructure (SMR) in Chinese rural schools, many small schools have been closed or have merged with larger primary schools. This has resulted, among other things, in difficulties for many students in rural areas who now have to travel longer distances to a…

Educational achievement in rural America is one of the country's great overlooked challenges. Rural students achieve below the U.S. average on national tests, and high school dropout rates are higher and college attendance lower than they are in cities and suburbs. When the U.S. Department of Education asks low-achieving schools to be turned…

This paper reviews research on small rural primary schools in Finland and analyses it under three thematic foci: the relationship between the local rural school and the surrounding community, the small rural primary school as a learning environment, and the teachers' profession in this context. Over 30% of Finnish primary schools are small rural…

Traditionally Sweden's educational system has been highly centralized; physical characteristics, administrative factors, and teacher qualifications have been generally standardized as have curriculums, though local implementation has been afforded considerable freedom. In 1971 the upper secondary school (9-12) consolidated three previously…

Charter schools have emerged in the 1990s as a prominent and controversial school reform idea. This digest discusses characteristics of charter schools, tentative research findings, advantages and disadvantages, and implications for rural communities. Since 1991, 33 states and the District of Columbia have passed charter school legislation. An…

Uses responses of 77 teachers from eight Illinois rural high schools to 36-item survey to assess amount of time students devote to homework; existence of school homework policy; purpose and type of homework assignments; teacher review, feedback, and grading of homework; and value and significance of assigning homework. (NEC)

This paper analyzes current policy and practice relating to the preparation and selection of teachers for rural areas of Australia, and contrasts these to perceptions of rural teachers concerning the adequacy of their preservice preparation. Nine recent Australian national and state reports and policy statements were analyzed. National policy…

This document summarizes research on curriculum renewal efforts in small rural schools in the Northwest. The Northwest region includes Alaska, Idaho, Montana, Oregon, and Washington. Curriculum renewal involves activities aimed at meeting state reform standards and educational improvement initiatives. An examination of accreditation standards…

Motivated by the widespread assumption that voluntary, independent inter-district resource sharing is a strategy for improving educational opportunities in rural areas (with little or no cost to the operation of the school district), this paper critically examines resource sharing in New York State. A review of the literature between 1960 and the…

This document contains the 12 issues of "Rural Policy Matters" published in 2002. Issues examine recent educational research on small and rural schools; report on court litigation related to rural school finance and educational adequacy, resources for community action in support of rural schools, and outcomes of school consolidation;…

Examines factors currently affecting the viability of small elementary schools (90 students or less) in England and Wales. While centralization of educational control since 1988 has worsened the educational and economic environment for small schools, locally based support strategies (interschool cooperation, anti-closure campaigns, voluntary fund…

In Greece, education is organised vertically into three levels: primary, secondary, and higher. In primary education, according to the number of permanent teaching posts allocated, primary schools are divided into one-teacher, two-teacher, and up to six- or twelve-teacher schools. Although their effect on the size and number of schools has changed…

Lists titles and citations for 94 journal articles, 33 books, 112 research reports and briefs, and 41 masters and doctoral theses on native education in Alberta. Most documents were published from 1960-80. (LFL)

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…