A STUDY CONDUCTED IN 1948 ACCUMULATED THE MIGRATION EXPECTATIONS AND BACKGROUND CHARACTERISTICS OF 157 SENIORS FROM 9 RURAL HIGH SCHOOLS IN NORTH CENTRAL IOWA. THESE SAME RESPONDENTS WERE REINTERVIEWED IN 1956 AND AGAIN IN 1967 (152 AND 143 RESPECTIVELY RESPONDED FOR THE 2ND AND 3RD INTERVIEWS), CONCERNING THEIR MIGRATION PERFORMANCES AT THOSE…

Purpose: The purposes of this pilot study were to examine prevalence of depressive symptoms among rural adolescents and identify related social and environmental variables. Methods: A convenience sample of 299 14- to 18-year-old agriculture class students at 5 rural high schools in Kentucky and Iowa completed a survey that included demographic…

Panel studies examined changes in the educational and occupational aspirations of 191 rural Ohio youth. The 1988 survey questions were similar to those asked in a study conducted 3 years earlier when subjects were 10th and 12th graders. Major findings were: (1) the influence of school personnel on student career and curriculum choices was less…

With the ultimate goal of articulating a research agenda, a November 1999 conference of researchers and educators examined the educational, social, and economic factors affecting rural adolescents' transition to the workforce. The first section of this white paper discusses the need to clarify research questions about adolescence to include a…

Reviews research showing declining interest in teaching profession. Survey reveals 45.8 percent of rural South Carolina high school students were to some extent interested in teaching. Examines related factors, including students' ability levels, grade and area-type preferences, amount of teacher influences, and perceptions of teacher salaries.…

In Hale County, Alabama, a strong spirit of community collaboration led to the development of a family resource center that provides preschool education, a drug prevention program, center-based and mobile health services, general equivalency diploma (GED) classes, outreach services, and a youth leadership program in which outstanding high school…

In 1990, the Youth Risk Behavior Survey (YRBS) was completed by a random sample of 1,448 West Virginia public-school students in grades 9-12. The sample was 51 percent male and 89 percent white. About 71 percent of subjects were aged 15-17; 39 percent were in the ninth grade. The YRBS covered behaviors producing vehicle-related or other injuries,…

A study of youth out-migration from the Scottish Borders region was based on the 1989 Scottish Young People's Survey--a survey of students during their final compulsory school year (age 16-17)--plus followup interviews in 1995 with 23-year-olds from the rural Borders region. Among those in school in the Borders at age 16, only around one-third…

American adolescents spend a significant portion of their time in leisure activities, but little research has been done on adolescent extrafamilial leisure activities, either alone or with peers. This paper examines adolescents' own accounts of such activities. As part of a longitudinal study of rural youth development, semistructured interviews…

Most Americans view small towns and rural areas as ideal places to grow up and raise a family, yet 1990 census data reveal that most rural areas are losing population, particularly the young. Teenagers who live in rural communities are likely to have important insights into this contradiction. Approximately 5,600 students attending 114 rural high…

The deterioration of industries in rural America in the 1980s has placed rural youth in a difficult situation. Those who remain in rural areas face a scarcity of good jobs, while those who leave face competition for employment against better-educated metropolitan youth. A study was conducted to: (1) examine the educational experiences of both…

Stresses the importance of developing rural education initiatives that address the changing workforce in rural areas and the accompanying need for career preparation beyond high school. Describes a program at Edinboro University (Pennsylvania) that prepares rural high school students for career decision making and builds connections between rural…

The Catalyst Training Package was developed by project On The Other Hand, a 16-month project which used two rural Vermont high school districts to field test materials focused on educating youth to reach their full potential, and the roles of men and women in society. Three basic strategies were used to improve educational equity in rural high…

A survey of 41 rural high school counselors from eight western states indicates an emerging problem with crime and youth gangs in rural schools and communities. In addition, school counselors do not feel adequately trained or equipped to deal with gang-related activity in their schools. Includes survey questionnaire. (LP)

An ethnographic study of high school seniors in a small rural midwestern high school revealed that, although there was a lack of direct parent and community involvement, the small cohesive class of 30 students constructed a school culture that promoted participation, cooperation, high expectations, and academic achievement. (LP)