Describes the diverse and extensive reading program at South Bay Elementary School in rural northwestern California, one of several school reading programs recognized by the International Reading Association as exemplary. Discusses parent and community involvement, schoolwide collaboration, and program results. (SR)

Developed in the early 1980s, the Hill Areas Education project provides basic education to children and adults of Thailand's six ethnic minority groups, who live in the remote mountainous region of northern Thailand. The project delivers a locally relevant curriculum, equivalent to the six compulsory grades of the formal education system; promotes…

In rural Burkina Faso, donor agencies and the national government have initiated a five-year reform program aimed at decentralizing educational administration and augmenting local participation in school management. Reforms are founded on misplaced assumptions about public ownership of formal education, efficacy of short-term training, and shared…

Focusing on programs that successfully expanded primary education in rural areas and among young girls, this report describes a mobilizing project that assisted six local programs in documenting and disseminating their methods. The report discusses the six successful projects: (1) the PROPEL project in Pune, India; (2) the 900 Schools Project in…

A Colombian model of rural elementary education has increased student achievement. Basic characteristics are active learning, structured yet flexible and multifaceted nature, extensive training and support for teachers, and opportunities for meaningful involvement of students, teachers, and community members. A Guatemalan reform based on the model…

Teachers at a rural Appalachian elementary school made the curriculum more responsive to students by incorporating storytelling, theater, and music. Students interviewed community members, told their stories in school and community, created and performed plays based on them, and provided workshops for classmates. Teacher perspectives, supporting…

The Community Learning Centre Project has been approved within the framework of UNESCO's Asia-Pacific Programme of Education for All (APPEAL), and supports one of APPEAL's priority areas, community participation and ownership. Community learning centers, managed by local institutions outside the formal school system, provide literacy and learning…

A questionnaire was sent to 350 people representing heads of Federal agencies dealing with education, all state commissioners of education, superintendents of schools of the largest cities, heads of selected professional education organizations, outstanding community leaders, university researchers, directors of some ERIC clearinghouses, regional…

The benefits of girls' education include increased family incomes, later marriages, reduced fertility rates, reduced infant and maternal mortality rates, better nourished families, and greater opportunities for women. However, ingrained attitudes towards women are difficult to change. Only when communities believe that the benefits of girls in…

Energy Express is an 8-week summer nutrition and literacy program in low-income West Virginia communities. Multi-age groups of eight children in grades 1-6 work with college student mentors for 3 1/2 hours each day, eating breakfast and lunch served family-style and creating print-rich environments that support their emerging literacy. The program…

Case study of a small elementary school in rural New South Wales (Australia) found that the community's history, the size of the school, and the relationship between school staff, students, and stakeholders contributed to development of a learning community. Suggests that becoming a learning community involves an ongoing, developmental, and…

In 1992, UNICEF signed an agreement with the government of Egypt to develop and coordinate a community schools project in the deprived villages of rural upper Egypt. Four pilot sites were selected in the governorate of Assiut based on minimum numbers of out-of-school children, lack of a school nearby, and the eagerness of the community to…

In 1981, Save the Children (SC) opened an office in Nepal to support projects related to health, education, income generation, and resource management. Statistics show that between 7 and 8 million of Nepal's 19 million people live below the poverty line, and almost 2 out of 3 adolescent girls do not attend school, placing the overall female…

This paper summarizes arguments surrounding the closing of Hisel School in Jackson County, Kentucky, in an effort to analyze the debate on rural education in Appalachia and how it relates to school-community relationships. Events surrounding closure of the school are summarized, including a two-year period in which a school community volunteer…

Recorded observations, camera work, conversations with 19 children in grades K-4 in a Nebraska 2-room school house, and interviews with the teacher were techniques used to assess the advantages and disadvantages of the small rural school environment and its impact on children. Five attributes were found to be significant and unique small school…