The single-grade model of education, based on the division of labor in industry, has come to dominate the school, class, and curriculum organization used by central authorities. Although the multi-grade model is common in developing countries and in rural areas of industrialized countries, the knowledge required for effective multi-grade teaching…

Written for use in small primary schools where children of varying ages and abilities are under the guidance of one teacher and where art is frequently neglected because of teacher workloads, these lessons form a comprehensive art program. The curriculum is divided into five categories according to medium: painting and drawing, modelling, collage…

A study conducted in 1988 assessed the effectiveness of the multigrade system in providing a primary education at four pilot schools in sparsely populated, rural areas of Zambia. In an attempt to alleviate the problems of financial strain and low enrollment in rural schools, this system combines two or more grade levels into one class taught by…

An Australian preservice teacher education course used interactive television to present real-life, rural teaching situations as examples of best practice. These were integrated with problem-based learning scenarios focusing on dilemmas faced by practicing teachers in multigraded rural classrooms. Evaluation revealed positive feedback from both…

Because rural Alaska educators were skeptical of the applicability to their teaching situations of various educational research results, researchers randomly surveyed rural Alaskan teachers to provide background information for the Rural Effective Schools Project and for educators who want to help rural schools increase their effectiveness. Three…

This curriculum unit on oceans for grades K-8 contains lesson plans, vocabulary lists, core activities, resource lists, and a student evaluation worksheet developed by rural Gallatin County, Montana, teachers as part of an inservice Rural Schools Integrated Curriculum Project administered by the Montana State University College of Education. The…

The thematic, integrated subject curriculum presented in this comprehensive teacher's guide is based on a study of Gallatin County's local history and is intended to enrich students' perceptions of their rural Montana culture, heritage, and environment, and provide them with a knowledge base for decision making about the future. Introductory…

This multi-age integrated teaching unit on weather was developed by 19 rural teachers (grades K-8) from 12 Gallatin County (Montana) districts to associate all school subjects with a common theme, promote teaching efficiency by focusing on more than one subject at the same time, and increase student excitement. Topics explored by each grade level…

A GRANT FROM THE FORD FOUNDATION WAS USED IN ESTABLISHING THE UPPER MIDWEST SMALL SCHOOLS PROJECT (UMSSP). THIS PROJECT INCLUDED FIFTEEN MEMBER SCHOOLS IN NORTH DAKOTA AND MONTANA. THE ORIGINAL OBJECTIVES WERE--(1) TO IDENTIFY POTENTIAL LEADERS IN RURAL EDUCATION, (2) TO PROVIDE ASSISTANCE AND ADDED MATERIALS TO DEVELOP THIS LEADERSHIP ROLE OF…

This multi-age integrated teaching unit on outer space was developed by 19 rural teachers (grades K-8) from 12 Gallatin County (Montana) districts to associate all school subjects with a common theme, promote teaching efficiency by focusing on more than one subject at the same time, and increase student excitement. Topics explored by each grade…

A survey conducted as part of the continuous review of Eastern Montana College's teacher preparation program produced written responses from 62 classroom teachers, 8 principals, and 9 superintendents from rural schools in 4 Montana counties, who strongly supported the need for specialized preparation for rural teachers. Respondents recommended…