During 1984-85 New York's 14 Early Childhood Direction Centers responded to 10,609 service requests and assisted 5,283 parents, 376 professionals, and 666 agencies in obtaining services for 5,510 handicapped children aged birth to 5. The network operated at a cost of only $218 per child matched to services. (JHZ)

Questionnaire responses were used to study 99 first-year teachers and their reasons for accepting present positions. Teachers in rural, suburban, and urban districts differed significantly on reasons for accepting their positions but agreed on financial rewards and degree of support as reasons for considering teaching positions in other districts.…

A survey of 20 parents of 3-year-old children attending an early childhood service in an isolated rural community in Victoria, Australia, found an overwhelming desire for children to develop social skills. Preparation for city life, exposure to cultural opportunities, and having teachers prepared for the unique aspects of rural life were also…

Reviews current trends in the restructuring of rural economies and labor markets. Outlines metro-nonmetro differences in earnings and production sector job growth, by years of school completed. Discusses rural and community development solutions to local economic problems and the role of education in such development. Contains 15 references. (SV)

Addresses differences between rural and urban communities in terms of family characteristics, home life, cultural values, social norms, and economic structures. Implications for rural special education include understanding the diversity of rural communities, developing relationship-based services, and considering ecocultural factors when…

Examines demographic information on all-white school districts in New York. Surveys perceptions of superintendents in nonminority school districts about the meaning of "minority" and "disadvantaged" and about the impact of a modified social studies curriculum that calls for the inclusion of minority contributions to American…

Analysis of data from the National Education Longitudinal Study supported the thesis that rural adolescents' disadvantages with regard to certain family and school resources and resulting low investments in education explain rural deficits in both educational attainment and standardized achievement. (Contains 67 references.) (Author/SV)

Definitions of "education" and "rural" are debunked and expanded. The three major tasks of rural education are educating people to understand their own needs, the unavoidable changes that will transform rural Australia within their lifetimes, and the range of technologies that can enhance their well-being. Presents a strategy…

A study examined the early literacy experiences of rural disabled children, ages 3-8. Data originated from a subset of the National Household Education Survey of 1995 that included 1,316 families with disabled children and 8,009 families with nondisabled children. Participants were asked about their race/ethnicity, education level, native…

This report summarizes demographic information about rural populations in the United States and discusses a variety of issues that are relevant to rural youth poverty. Although recent poverty rates for rural areas were higher than urban poverty rates, the media and political forces have almost completely neglected the rural poor. Extensive census…

School finance is basic to understanding and improving the condition of rural education. The purpose of this study was to: (1) determine the relationship between educational spending and component property wealth in the rural schools of Illinois; (2) examine potential trends in component property wealth in Illinois; and (3) identify and facilitate…

A review of the literature indicates that, compared to larger, urban schools, small, rural secondary schools have limited course offerings in mathematics and science; the review also indicates, however, that the achievement of students in small, rural schools is equivalent to or even higher than, that of students in larger, urban schools. Such an…

This ERIC Digest reports on the educational aspirations of rural youth compared with students living in urban and suburban areas. Research indicates that in comparison to urban youth, rural young people felt their parents were much more supportive of their taking full-time jobs, attending trade schools, or entering the military rather than…

Capstone for a Competitive Edge Summer Camp--1989 was a pilot program formed with input by business and industry, rural vocational educators, and the rural advisory council in conjunction with the Arizona Department of Education and the Arizona Center for Vocational Education. The program's primary intent was to meet the needs of rural vocational…

This paper examines the degree to which high-school course offerings are unequally distributed across schools, paying attention to relationships between school size and the incidence of new course titles in various curriculum areas. The inquiry is based on the presumption that economies of scale play a role in educational opportunity. The study is…