Alcohol use among urban youth has been regularly surveyed, but assessment of rural residents is rare. Information about factors associated with attitudes toward drinking could be especially useful to school counselors. This study used questionnaires to investigate the association of attitudes toward alcohol and alcohol use with the following…

This paper examines rural high school students' educational and occupational expectations and their relationships to personal, educational, school, and family characteristics. Questionnaires were distributed to all 10th and 12th graders in four small rural high schools in diverse geographic regions of Ohio. Almost all of the 491 respondents were…

A study examined how rural youth perceive leadership and how sense of place affects those perceptions. Interviews and observations of 12 students who participated in a leadership academy in 3 rural Texas high schools indicated that rural adolescents viewed leadership as situational. Teamwork and service were the elements of leadership that…

A survey of 215 graduates from small rural high schools in north-central Missouri examined the perceived effectiveness of academic, vocational, and general education programs in the development of work skills. Vocational graduates perceived their education programs to be more effective overall, and in technology and occupational preparation, than…

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)

The extent and degree of student alcohol and drug involvement--and possible factors relating to the involvement--were examined in a study of 1,503 Nebraska high school students in 6 small rural schools and in 1 larger school (949 students) located in a medium-sized trade center. The survey was undertaken as a needs assessment in preparation for a…

SMALL HIGH SCHOOLS HAVE BEEN CONSIDERED POOR SCHOOLS, AND MOST EFFORTS TOWARD IMPROVEMENT HAVE BEEN TO ELIMINATE THE SCHOOL BY REORGANIZATION. THE STRUGGLE FOR COMPREHENSIVENESS IS SEEN IN THIS PAPER AS THE FUNDAMENTAL PROBLEM FACING SMALL HIGH SCHOOLS. IMPROVEMENT DEPENDS ON A RETURN TO COMMUNITY SCHOOL EMPHASIS, CONTINUED IMPROVEMENT IN…

More than 7 out of 10 public high schools of all types in the United States today are located in rural centers of less than 2,500 population. The problems of providing education for all rural youth through the small high schools in these areas are manifold. Significant progress is being made, but there is much ahead that needs to be done. This…

Educational strategies that small rural high schools can use to address important developmental needs of rural youth were explored, focusing on the importance of educational environments outside traditional high school classrooms, (i.e., work-experience programs, student exchange programs, and travel-study). Of the 92 Alaskan village high schools…