A paper by the American Council on Rural Special Education formally requests that the National Commission on Excellence in Education recognize the differences between rural and non-rural schools and provide appropriately different strategies for implementing Commission recommendations. Factors of rural schools which should be considered by…

This paper studies the needs and strengths of rural schools with the intent of improving rural science education. It examines the history of rural schools, and posits a rural-to-urban continuum of characteristics, citing studies that indicate rural schools are more effective in some ways than urban schools. The paper looks at needs of rural/small…

The Nebraska educational system is experiencing internal turmoil even though its students are highly ranked nationally on standardized tests and show a higher ratio of graduating high school than those in most other states. This report was commissioned by Nebraska education officials who were concerned that their state was not taking a large…

Drawing on papers presented at the rural education seminar, "Ensuring Excellence in Education for Rural America," and other sources, the report consists of an overview, examples of excellence, barriers to excellence, areas of continuing need, and appendices dealing with the conference. Highlights from the executive summary include:…

THE PHENONMENON OF RURALITY OCCURS ALONG A RURAL-URBAN CONTINUUM, WITH THE DEGREE OF RURALITY DEPENDING UPON ENVIRONMENTAL, OCCUPATIONAL, AND SOCIO-CULTURAL CONSIDERATIONS. A HIGH DEGREE OF RURALITY IS LIKELY TO EXIST IN AREAS WHERE POPULATION CENTERS DO NOT EXCEED 2,500 PERSONS, OCCUPATIONS ARE PRIMARILY BASED ON NATURAL RESOURCE AND/OR LAND…

This report draws on research, statistics, and the voices of rural young people to document the extent and causes of rural child poverty, and related problems and reasons for hope in specific focus areas. About 2.5 million rural children are chronically poor. Rural poverty is concentrated in central Appalachia, the deep South, the U.S.-Mexican…

Resources available to Arizona through the School-to-Work Opportunities Act will not be concentrated in rural communities, although their educational and economic development needs are proportionately greater. Absent from education reform bills pending in the Arizona House and Senate is any reference to school-to-work transition or any explicit…

This book consists of 13 essays focusing on successful developments in education in rural and remote regions across Canada. Essays examine the integration of local or Aboriginal culture into education, need for educational partnerships between parents and schools, importance of distance education in meeting the educational needs of rural students,…

This special theme issue reports key results from a comprehensive assessment of skill development among the rural workforce and of rural education and job training in rural areas. This comprehensive assessment had three goals: to develop better measures of rural skills than were previously available, to identify human capital initiatives that…

This report overviews the rationale for conducting an ethnographic study of cultural factors that influence student aspiration in Tremont, a small rural community on Mount Desert Island, Maine. Although Tremont is the poorest community on Mount Desert Island, Tremont students scored as well or better on the Maine Educational Assessment than did…

This paper uses data from the Morocco Living Standard Survey in an econometric investigation of the relative effectiveness of supply- and demand-side factors in determining educational outcomes. A wide range of factors are examined that may be responsible for differences in grade completion levels and achievement among sexes, regions, and urban…

This book examines the education, training, and skill supply of the rural workforce; the role of rural workforce quality in rural development; and the barriers that prevent many rural people from obtaining the skills needed for good jobs. Data are drawn from large national surveys of schools, students, and households. The first three chapters…

Written for rural educators, this handbook provides practical guidelines for working with rural youth who will be seeking jobs in urban areas. The suggested learning activities can be used for an independent course, integrated into existing programs, or applied in counseling. The introduction discusses needs of rural students and relates positive…

National data collected by the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) in 1981 (11,754 adults) and regional augmentation data collected in 1984 (812 adults) were analyzed to provide--in profile form--baseline information to assist practitioners and policy makers in having a better understanding of the educational needs of rural adult…

Perceived negative aspects of teaching in rural areas, including personal and professional isolation, multiple subject preparation, etc., provide barriers to effective recruitment and retention of quality teachers. The predicted shortage of teachers will likely have a significant impact on an already competitive market for high quality, rural…