In this descriptive and comparative study, we present results highlighting the complexity and scope of the challenges facing rural districts as they navigate the changing demographics of the students and families they serve. Rapid increases in the number and concentration of racially, culturally, and linguistically diverse students in rural areas…

This chapter examines 100 years of rural education research in the context of the demographic, migratory, economic, and social changes that have affected rural America in the past century. The authors conducted a systematic review of the literature on rural teacher recruitment, retention, and training as a case study to examine the constancy and…

We examine 100 years of rural education research within the context of the demographic, migratory, economic, and social changes that have affected rural America in the past century. We use systematic review of the literature on rural teacher recruitment, retention, and training as a case study for looking at the constancy and change in the…

Educators focused on community literacy and public engagement have access to a unique critical platform from which larger social issues that impact us both as a whole and on very personal levels are open to exploration. Being particularly situated to have significant impact on community, literacy work in this area may require uncommon pedagogical…

Jodi Fletcher is a teacher on special assignment in curriculum instruction and assessment for Falcon School District 49 in Colorado. Serving about 12,500 students across 16 schools, the district encompasses the northeastern portion of Colorado Springs and the rural area of Falcon. About 30 percent of students in the district are from military…

A problem in American education is that rural schools have difficulty recruiting licensed teachers. Teacher shortages in mathematics, science, foreign language, and special education are more acute in rural areas. The purpose of this quantitative descriptive survey study was to examine specific recruiting strategies and newly hired licensed…

Selected excerpts from books and poetry portray life in rural communities, the role of country schools, and the demands of farm life. These excerpts depict a nostalgic view of rural life that does not account for the current decline of rural communities. A move away from this stereotypical view is necessary to adapt to social change and preserve…

Because of the destruction of the agricultural sector of Russia's economy, there is no demand for workers in the countryside, and, as a consequence, the able-bodied population is leaving the countryside and the birth rate has gone down drastically. These factors have resulted in the liquidation of kindergartens and small-enrollment schools and a…

This paper represents a brief history of rural education in Fayette County (Texas) from 1918 through 1975. The paper focuses on the personal narratives of Harry Loeb, the last official superintendent of Fayette County and Emma Diedt, a 50-year Fayette County teacher. The narratives describe Fayette County schools, school politics, and the…

This paper addresses the nature of educational reform and recommends strategies to better reflect the needs of rural schools and their communities. The furor over education reform is largely produced by those who stand to gain from it, including politicians who promote their own agendas and consultants, professors, and experts who make a good…

The contemporary rural population, comprising one-quarter of the nation's total, is diverse. Hence, no single label can be applied to its inhabitants, its families, or its children. This collection of articles, highlighted with drawings by five year old rural residents, describes adaptations to modern American life made by three types of rural…

Iaroslavl Oblast is a pilot region on problems of the modernization of education. It was entirely logical that the oblast was given this status: modernization was something that administrators on different levels viewed not formally but substantively. A number of aspects were developed to improve the sector, such as normative financing of schools,…

This collection of conference papers covers various aspects of rural education in changing times. The conference focused on changes and innovations in rural education and on reasons why rural educators can be optimistic. The proceedings report includes brief papers and workshop summaries on topics ranging from rural public relations to…

In this article, we draw on the example of the Friday Absenteeism Project, a photo voice project with sixth grade learners in a rural KwaZulu-Natal school, to interrogate the nature of participatory process and cultural production. In so doing, we explore a number of critical issues related to youth participation, including ethics, citizenship and…

1996 National Teacher of the Year--a high school teacher from rural Minnesota--reflects on the 30 years of her career and on social changes that have necessitated that her community and local schools work toward cultural understanding. The community went from a mostly white, middle-class, conservative community to one with at least six different…