The academic and social achievements of students in rural schools are very uneven and often absenteeism and suspension rates are high. Factors such as globalisation, economic restructuring, unemployment, youth suicide and family trauma, drought and environmental change (see Bourke & Lockie 2001) also impact on rural schooling and add further…

Relatively little policy activity has focused on the key role of counselors in providing the guidance students need to make informed decisions about their post-high school options. This issue of "Progress of Education Reform" takes a closer look at research related to: (1) The variation in access of college counseling across schools and the impact…

Describes the involvement of a high school English teacher in an isolated and poor county in West Virginia with the West Virginia Writing Project and how she was able to turn stumbling blocks into stepping stones. (SR)

In this article the authors examine evidence pertaining to the implementation of a national programme of school-based decentralization, the Quality Schools Programme ("Programa de Escuelas de Calidad"). The main argument of this article is that high levels of inequality in the institutional capacity of different schools and in the…

This study investigated teachers' perceptions of how one school district supported and sustained a teacher-led staff development committee's professional development program. In this small, rural school district, teachers regarded as exemplary by their administrators and colleagues were invited to serve on the district's staff development…

This article discusses how the traditional Maori concept of Hauora (balanced development) can be applied to beginning teacher induction programmes. To develop this idea, several steps were taken. From a nationwide survey, five primary schools were chosen with exemplary induction programmes. Data from interviews and observations indicated that…

According to the annual industry report in "Training" magazine, money spent on employee training dropped approximately six percent--the first time that training expenditures have dropped since the mid 1990's. At the same time, web-based training increased from 48% of all computer-based training to 61% in just one year (2002-2003). The…

Reviews the Basic Education and Life Skills program, which involves University of the South Pacific member countries, highlighting teacher involvement in collaborative action research to promote professional development at the school level. The paper describes the nature of teachers' involvement and shares insights from their experiences as…

Investigated how a professional development program for integrating technology into school fit into teachers' work lives,by examining the activities of participating Indiana teachers as they introduced new classroom curricula. Observation and interview data indicated that program participation allowed teachers to share new curricula with peers and…

Professional development that increases quality classroom instruction is a concern of school administrators and professional educators. Using survey, observation, and interview methods, four rural schools in the Upper Cumberland area of Tennessee were examined to determine if professional development supported by the Reading Excellence Act…

This article describes the approach of a five-year initiative, funded by the National Science Foundation, to improve the teaching of mathematics and science in 10 rural school districts of Missouri. Traditional challenges of improving the professional practice of teachers are addressed through a regional partnership. External project evaluation…

The paper demonstrates that a majority of the students with disabilities in Ghanaian classrooms (in Accra and some rural areas in Eastern Region) did not have their disabilities detected or identified by professionals. The paper also shows that vision impairment is the most common problem reported by the teachers in the schools, especially in…

Rural school districts face unique challenges in cultivating a teaching force that possesses subject-matter expertise, a willingness to undertake difficult professional work at the local level, and attentiveness to rural practices and cultures. At the same time, many rural schools harbor significant strengths that districts might draw upon to…

A survey of 725 rural and small school teachers and principals in Arkansas, Louisiana, New Mexico, Oklahoma, and Texas examined the nature and content of staff development activities, and educator definitions, preferences, and satisfaction related to staff development. (SV)

A group of rural districts benefited when various agencies that were offering professional learning experiences combined their efforts into one, more comprehensive program. Now teachers can earn graduate credits, renew their licenses, or renew their energies, through one center.