Sixth, seventh, and eighth grade students (N=301) from a rural county in Tennessee (Iris County is a pseudonym) completed a Rural School Success Inventory (RSSI) and the Learning Styles Inventory (LSI). The study explored differences between low Socioeconomic Status (SES) students and middle/high SES students. The RSSI provided information about…

The extent and degree of student alcohol and drug involvement--and possible factors relating to the involvement--were examined in a study of 1,503 Nebraska high school students in 6 small rural schools and in 1 larger school (949 students) located in a medium-sized trade center. The survey was undertaken as a needs assessment in preparation for a…

SMALL HIGH SCHOOLS HAVE BEEN CONSIDERED POOR SCHOOLS, AND MOST EFFORTS TOWARD IMPROVEMENT HAVE BEEN TO ELIMINATE THE SCHOOL BY REORGANIZATION. THE STRUGGLE FOR COMPREHENSIVENESS IS SEEN IN THIS PAPER AS THE FUNDAMENTAL PROBLEM FACING SMALL HIGH SCHOOLS. IMPROVEMENT DEPENDS ON A RETURN TO COMMUNITY SCHOOL EMPHASIS, CONTINUED IMPROVEMENT IN…

Materials contained in the 16 Volumes that make up the Rural America Series suggest practices through which rural schools can meet local community needs and realize their potential for career program delivery. This procedural handbook, one of five program development process documents for the series, provides information on why and how to conduct…

RURAL SCHOOLS HAVE GREATER EDUCATIONAL RESPONSIBILITIES THAN URBAN SCHOOLS BECAUSE THEY MUST ATTEMPT TO PREPARE YOUTH EITHER FOR RURAL OCCUPATIONS, IF THEY REMAIN IN THE RURAL COMMUNITY, OR FOR URBAN OCCUPATIONS, IF THEY MIGRATE. IT WOULD APPEAR THAT RURAL SCHOOLS ARE FAILING TO DO THIS, AS EVIDENCED BY THEIR HIGH DROPOUT RATE, LACK OF GUIDANCE…

A self-reporting questionnaire (57 items) was administered to all high school sophomores (599 completions) in 3 rural Ohio high schools for purposes of identifying correlations between selected social factors and acts of vandalism. The variables examined and the student responses indicated: 52% had committed 1 or more acts of vandalism; 37% were…

For many years, farmworkers in Zimbabwe have been a marginalized and neglected community. This book describes the lives of hired farmworkers' children in their own words. Over 850 children aged 10-17 were interviewed or wrote essays in English or Shona. Nearly all the children were in elementary school in grades 4-7. Many farm children undergo…

The 132 research reports, surveys, studies, program descriptions, case histories, and conference papers listed in the annotated bibliography provide a ready reference tool for researchers and practitioners in the field of rural education. A compilation of Educational Resources Information Center (ERIC) document resumes, most entries provide the…

THE PURPOSE OF THIS PAPER IS TO PRESENT A SUMMARY OF PRESENT KNOWLEDGE CONCERNING RURAL AND URBAN DIFFERENCES IN STUDENT ASPIRATION AND OCCUPATIONAL CHOICE OF YOUTH. THE PAPER RELIED HEAVILY ON DATA OBTAINED IN A WISCONSIN RESEARCH PROJECT FINANCED BY THE ROCKEFELLER FOUNDATION AND THE U.S. PUBLIC HEALTH SERVICE. OTHER STUDIES MENTIONED INDICATED…

This publication combines three papers on rural and urban youth issues. "Key Issues Facing Rural Youth" (Daniel F. Perkins) notes that rural adolescents share the same concerns and exhibit the same problem behaviors as their urban counterparts. But in addition, geographic isolation presents problems unique to rural areas. A framework is proposed…

In the "Just Do It, Jr." program, 81 at-risk fifth-grade students in rural Nevada attended life skills training sessions, then taught self-esteem concepts to second graders. The fifth graders averaged a 16% improvement on self-observed school attitudes and self-esteem, and the second graders thought the programs were well taught. (TD)

A counselor at a rural high school in New York reflects on her career and addresses issues facing rural school counselors. She chose a career in school counseling based on her interests in education, community involvement, and adolescents. As the only high school counselor for 280 students, she soon realized that rural youth faced many of the same…

Factors contributing to Native students' college success were examined in a study of 50 Native freshmen and 42 non-Native freshmen at the University of Alaska in the 1973-74 academic year. The study compared students in relation to three common explanations of college success: level of academic preparation, goal orientation, ease in the campus…

An education evaluation program was begun in 1950: (1) to compare school achievement of Indian and white children in small, rural schools, grades 4 through 12, and (2) to establish a predictive testing program to aid in meeting the requirements for granting educational loans to Indian pupils. By 1955, California Achievement Tests had been…

Presented are the proceedings of three concurrent training institutes conducted to better prepare professional workers in vocational education to meet the needs of rural disadvantaged students through secondary, postsecondary, and adult vocational education programs in Minnesota, North Dakota, and South Dakota. Included are the program objectives,…