In this descriptive and comparative study, we present results highlighting the complexity and scope of the challenges facing rural districts as they navigate the changing demographics of the students and families they serve. Rapid increases in the number and concentration of racially, culturally, and linguistically diverse students in rural areas…

Much of the Northwest Region (Alaska, Idaho, Montana, Oregon, and Washington) is rural in nature. A characteristic of the extractive economies such as timber, agriculture, mining, and fisheries is that they are generally located in small communities isolated by distances. While schools in these communities face the same challenges as those in…

The Arctic Climate Modeling Program (ACMP) offered yearlong science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) professional development to teachers in rural Alaska. Teacher training focused on introducing youth to workforce technologies used in Arctic research. Due to challenges in making professional development accessible to rural teachers, ACMP…

The word "rural" does not have the same meaning everywhere. A teacher's experience regarding the lessons learned about her students' knowledge of place and culture and the way in which she uses her understanding to teach more effectively is presented.

Reviews the nature of Alaskan community college education in terms of faculty and student characteristics, administrator requirements, teaching strategies, and the rural environment. Stresses the importance of educational relevance to the immediate concerns of the student. (MB)

Small, sometimes multi-cultural, rural schools need specialized preservice teacher education programs to prepare teachers. After outlining the classroom, school, and sociocultural characteristics affecting a teacher's success and survival in a rural community, this paper discusses the apparent lack of rural content in teacher preparation programs…

Designed to present information from scattered sources in an organized and useful way, this report examines the historical status of elementary schools in rural Alaskan communities from 1867 to 1979. Following a summary of the major landmarks in the establishment of the educational system in Alaska, the report furnishes a chronological summary of…

"An Overall Education Plan for Rural Alaska" was published in 1963, revised in 1966, and subsequently revised and printed in 1968. The purpose of the present booklet, published in 1969, is to develop in more detail the conditions and agreements found in the previous publications and to document recommendations made by a congressional…

Compares survey responses of rural special education administrators and teachers in Alaska and compares results with previous national studies. Finds issues identified by administrators and teachers differ from those of national studies. Recommends that models designed for one rural environment not be generalized without considering uniqueness of…

This manual offers practical advice to educators on conducting a job search and obtaining a position in Alaska. Alaska Teacher Placement (University of Alaska Fairbanks) is a statewide clearinghouse for the placement of educators. Although Alaska's certification requirements are similar to those of other states, school administrators are also…

A survey of 79 teachers of Alaskan students with deafness found those who use instructional technology tended to be older, hold an advanced degree and secondary education certification, benefit from in-service training onsite, are connected to the Internet, and actively use the technology available at their schools. (Contains references.)…

A report submitted by the Alaskan Governor's Committee on Education indicates that the quality of education in rural schools, both state-sponsored and Bureau of Indian Affairs-sponsored, is in need of improvement. This plan for school reorganization in Alaska recommends consolidation of small rural schools in favor of wider curricular offerings…

This report shows the rural disparities in the baseline data of the Birth and Kindergarten Cohorts of the national Early Childhood Longitudinal Study (ECLS). The National Center for Rural Early Childhood Learning Initiatives, known as Rural Early Childhood, commissioned Child Trends to perform the analysis of key indicators of child well-being and…

Rural Amrica has been experiencing dramatic changes in the transition toward a socially and culturally diverse society. This study is a first effort to explore multicultural reform in rural schools. Multicultural education is the process by which the school environment is modified to accommodate cultural differences as well as to teach the role…

Key points of presentations are captured in this report of a conference which addressed issues of concern to educators in Alaska's small schools. A total of 119 presentations are briefly summarized. Contents are organized under five headings: effective leadership strategies, curriculum and instruction, computers and telecommunication, assessment,…