Examines characteristics of small rural schools that contribute to school effectiveness. Discusses program implementation, school climate, teacher morale, teacher cooperation, the work ethic, parent involvement, student involvement, and relationships among teachers, administrators, parents, students, and the community. (SV)

Rural school districts frequently lack administrators with the training needed to manage special education programs. One solution is a collaborative, site-based administrative team of regular and special educators, parents, and community members. Team training should focus on group processes, documentation, comprehensive service plans, and program…

Describes the New Mexico Rural Science Education Project, a school-university-museum cooperative effort that seeks to improve rural elementary science education through teacher workshops, teacher-developed materials on local themes, individualized support services, and natural history field schools for teachers and students. (SV)

Rural elementary school teachers interested in improving science instruction are frequently hampered by inadequate training in science, lack of information on local natural history resources, and time and curriculum constraints. On the other hand, rural schools are usually located near meadows, forests, or undeveloped land, and rural students…

This guide was written to help rural elementary schools implement science teaching strategies for motivating students and to identify outside resources for strengthening science instruction. The guidebook emphasizes the need for active administrative leadership and strong teacher involvement in planning and implementing partnership activities. The…