Formal and informal partnerships between rural schools and their communities can provide a wide range of supports for all students, but particularly those from low-income families. In this analysis of six small rural school districts in Virginia we show how the broad participation of community groups and individuals supports academic achievement…

THE AUTHOR DISCUSSES THE PRESENT STATUS OF EDUCATIONAL OPPORTUNITIES AND NEEDS OF RURAL YOUTH. EVIDENCE INDICATES THAT MOST RURAL YOUTH DO NOT PLAN TO ATTEND COLLEGE, AND THAT THESE NONCOLLEGE BOUND STUDENTS DO NOT SCORE AS WELL ON APTITUDE AND ACHIEVEMENT TESTS AS THOSE PLANNING ON COLLEGE. APPROXIMATELY 80 PERCENT OF THESE STUDENTS DO NOT FEEL…

In 1999, Fairmont State College (West Virginia) received a Gaining Early Awareness and Readiness for Undergraduate Programs (GEAR UP) grant for a 5-year program designed to encourage college aspirations and preparation among disadvantaged rural youth. During the first 2 years, parents and students in nine counties were surveyed to determine their…

Project GEAR UP (Gaining Early Awareness and Readiness for Undergraduate Programs) encourages disadvantaged youth to stay in school and prepare for college. To gather baseline information on incoming seventh-grade students' and parents' awareness of, interest in, and aspirations for students' postsecondary education, surveys were administered to…

LARGER SCHOOL DISTRICTS USUALLY HAVE BETTER INSTRUCTIONAL PROGRAMS. TO HAVE A COMPREHENSIVE PROGRAM, HOWEVER, IT IS NECESSARY TO HAVE PROGRAM GUIDES THAT MEET THE NEEDS OF THE STUDENTS. THE ELEMENTARY SCHOOL SHOULD EMPHASIZE READING, WRITING, ARITHMETIC, AND SOCIAL STUDIES. A FLEXIBLE PROGRESSION OF GENERAL EDUCATION, COLLEGE PREPARATION, AND…