A rural township in one of the fastest growing counties in northern Michigan was selected as a prototype for changes in small rural communities experiencing rapid population growth due to inmigration. In 1973, 180 permanent residents and 58 seasonal homeowners in Hayes Township completed questionnaires covering household composition; family…

Designed to help industrial development teams be prepared to promptly and accurately answer any questions industrial prospects might have, this publication provides a listing of 441 questions which industrial prospects might ask. The questions are grouped into 16 categories: community government (27), local services (18), population (18),…

Schools in two neighboring rural Kentucky counties ("West" and "East") were studied to determine the effect of differing school organization on school functioning and community-school relations. Data gathered from public sources, attendance at faculty, staff and school board meetings, interviews, and faculty questionnaires…

Small rural schools with fewer than 15 pupils per grade at the elementary level, fewer than 200 pupils in high schools, and fewer than 300 pupils in all grades at K-12 (or 1-12) schools or districts were profiled in 1980 by the National Institute of Education. Nearly 6,000 small schools were scattered throughout the country with the following…

Examining census data on each of 3,100 U.S. counties for 1950, 1960, and 1970, the amount of net migration was analyzed in terms of general urban to rural migration, migration and Standard Metropolitan Statistical Area (SMSA) adjacency, 26 rural county subregions, and the kinds of county characteristics associated with population change. Results…

Of potential interest to small towns in rural areas, this report describes England's first attempt at applying to a rural area the concept of a multi-agency information and advice center based on a library. The comprehensive review covers all phases of the project: (1) identification of a community's information and advice needs; (2) consultation…

In assessing impacts of rural industrial development, it is important to include not only economic impacts but the interface between organizational, political, and behavioral aspects with economic aspects. Though effects depend on a variety of economic and institutional circumstances, several observations can be made about how new manufacturing…

In response to concerns resulting from changes in metropolitan growth during the past decade, and the concomitant gain in population of nonmetropolitan areas, this study was conducted in an effort to understand the effects of such growth on the quality of rural life and the physical environment. Data analyzed dealt with safisfactions, perceptions,…

Strategies and techniques for developing community-based programs for mentally retarded persons in rural areas must take into consideration local circumstances, resources, and characteristics. Rural norms such as overt racial segregation, social conformity, the importance of church, and the stigma of obtaining human services for personal problems…

This paper examines the attitudes of adults and teenagers in 10 predominantly rural Alaskan communities toward their own health and well-being and that of children and families in their community. The communities were located across the state and ranged in size from populations of under 900 to over 50,000. The proportion of Alaska Natives in the…

The 3-part companion volume to the final report of the Education North Evaluation Project serves as a policy development resource book for anyone who must address questions of school-community relations. Part I focuses on the educational issues of concern to policy makers and their advisors in very remote, interracial, poor northern communities.…

A review of the literature on teacher preparation and inservice programs in rural areas encompasses dilemmas facing rural education, what colleges and universities can do, and implications for colleges and universities. Part 1 describes dilemmas facing rural educators, not only in terms of class load, multiple preparations, extracurricular duties,…

Perceived negative aspects of teaching in rural areas, including personal and professional isolation, multiple subject preparation, etc., provide barriers to effective recruitment and retention of quality teachers. The predicted shortage of teachers will likely have a significant impact on an already competitive market for high quality, rural…

Based on research and discussions with rural educators in Australia and New Zealand, a new rural teacher preparation program at the University of Victoria (British Columbia) is intended to sensitize students to the professional life of teachers in small rural communities and to acquaint them with the demands of teaching multi-graded classes. The…

Projects such as Education North, a pilot project for community involvement in education conducted by the Alberta government, can be successful in geographically and culturally isolated communities where social, cultural, and political conflicts affect education. Between 1979 and 1982, Education North operated local education societies in six…