A final-year teacher education unit in New South Wales (Australia) uses action research as a learning process for interns. Online communication is the key support mechanism for interns placed in distant rural schools. Students appreciate the move to online work because it forces them to read, and bulletin boards provide support for complex…

Examines a program training teachers to deliver adapted physical education services in Appalachia and other rural areas. Discusses the unique training concerns related to rural settings, the program's curriculum content, field-based experiences, and a faculty mentor program to encourage student retention in the program. Contains 12 references. (SV)

Describes the Collaborative Career Adjustment Project, a program that allows licensed teachers in rural New Mexico to continue teaching while taking weekend, summer, or distance education courses to obtain a master's degree in speech-language pathology. Includes recommendations for the recruitment and retention of rural students in communication…

Describes the development of a booklet and video for teacher education students on the use of distance-education technology in remote rural Australian schools. Provides an overview of the use of 15 information technologies in the 8 Australian states and territories. (SV)

A critical shortage of qualified personnel hampers the ability of rural schools to provide speech, language, and hearing services to handicapped minority group children. Four curriculum approaches are suggested to incorporate multicultural and rural concerns into professional preservice training programs. Alternative service delivery systems for…

Suggests that research on teacher telecommunication networks such as LabNetwork must examine how a network contributes to the teaching practice and professional development of rural teachers and must be embedded in an understanding of the conditions of rural teaching. Discusses network potential to provide space for a professional "community…

This article describes the Vision Outreach Project--a pilot project of the University of Alabama at Birmingham for training teachers of visually impaired students. The project produced video modules to provide distance education in rural and urban areas. The modules can be used to complete degree requirements or in-service training and continuing…

A program developed by George Peabody College (Tennessee) to increase the supply and quality of teachers of visually impaired children in rural areas involves recruiting regular and special education teachers currently residing in rural areas; restructuring class schedules to allow teachers to remain fully employed; and rural practicum experiences…

Sunraysia College of TAFE (Australia) offers courses via six alternative delivery systems (outreach, correspondence, extended campus, teleconferencing, satellite, and videoconferencing). Twelve program and delivery variables were rated by 110 students with regard to their contribution to program success. Similar success factors were found for both…

East Tennessee State University has reshaped its education of medical, nursing, and allied health students to create a rural primary-care track curriculum that meets the needs of two medically underserved rural counties. The community-based experiential program shows students the realities of community public health and provides much-needed…

Rural training tracks (RTT) encourage family medicine residents to enter into rural practice. Studies reveal that 76 percent of RTT graduates are practicing in rural America and that graduates feel prepared for rural practice. However, RTTs produced only 107 graduates during 1989-99. Without significant investment, this model can not supply enough…

A partnership for medical student education and community health improvement between the Medical College of Wisconsin and a rural Wisconsin area illustrates four stages of partnership development and advantages over traditional student placement. Two elements key to such partnerships are long-term commitment and the ability and willingness of…

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 directory lists over 250 organizations and resources related to rural education. Entries are categorized by the following sections: (1) national organizations (associations, networks, centers, and clearinghouses); (2) regional educational laboratories; (3) regional offices of the National Diffusion Network (a federally-funded dissemination…

This report presents the problems of rural Pennsylvania and proposes solutions to those problems. Because the news media does not systematically report on rural situations, the public lacks awareness concerning the problems in rural Pennsylvania. Rural problems include high unemployment rates, high welfare expenditures, out migration, low…