"Integrated services" refers to the collaborative delivery of educational, health, and social services for children and families such that families have a single point of entry into the delivery system. In some states, attempts to integrate social service delivery are part of education reform legislation. In Kentucky, schools link the…

This digest examines the practical significance for rural communities of the emerging national information infrastructure, highlights some potential pitfalls, and draws connections to rural education. During the 1980s, computers and computer networks became increasingly commonplace, and in the early 1990s, the Internet and World Wide Web emerged…

This digest examines the rural teacher shortage from a policy perspective and suggests strategies to address the problem. The rural teacher recruitment and retention problem varies across states. An adequate number of teachers are trained each year nationwide, but the problem is with distribution. Recent research on rural teacher recruitment and…

Defining the concept "rural" to the satisfaction of demographers, policymakers, educational researchers, sociologists, journalists, and legislators is an ongoing and complex problem. As a sampling of definitions used by different researchers/agencies illustrates, the two categories of definitions of rural--qualitative and…

Despite stereotypes to the contrary, homelessness is as prevalent in rural as urban areas. This digest examines the implications of homelessness for rural children and youth and discusses possible actions by rural educators. An estimated half of the rural homeless are families with children. Compared to urban counterparts, rural homeless families…

This ERIC Digest discusses relevant issues and alternatives for rural school districts trying to develop strong programs for their most academically talented students. Although rural schools are more often constrained by high costs and material shortages than are urban schools, there are opportunities inherent in the lower teacher-student ratios…

This fact sheet provides an overview of rural schools, people, and labor markets to help vocational educators better understand the needs of rural Americans. It is based on "A Portrait of Rural America: Conditions Affecting Vocational Education Policy" (Rosenfeld 1981). Data is presented on population trends, poverty, employment…

This ERIC digest synthesizes research characterizing the economic climate in which rural schools operate and reports on the traditional strategies used to create greater economic support for rural school districts. The benefits of steady urban economic growth have not been shared, generally, by rural areas; this has led to inadequate financial…