A study compared the performance of rural and urban Western Australian students on the college-entrance mathematics examination following introduction of graphics calculators. Although urban students scored higher than rural students in the 3 years studied, the gap remained relatively consistent, indicating that rural students were not further…

Examination of demographic, socioeconomic, and cultural factors in Kentucky, Tennessee, Virginia, and West Virginia, the four states served by the Appalachia Educational Laboratory (AEL), shows low student population density, endemic poverty, low educational attainment, and a population reluctant to seek outside help. This report reviews the…

Although there are many sources of information about "effective schools" programs, those that specifically address the needs of rural areas are often overlooked. This document offers a collection of program descriptions to help educators determine programs and practices that appear to be effective in rural and small schools. Program…

This study about rural school and student characteristics uses recent investigations to focus on the needs of rural schools and students. The first two sections of the report describe rural populations and communities, paying particular attention to changes since 1970 and to regional differences in growth rate, economic base, and racial/ethnic…

Two questionnaires were developed to assess the knowledge levels and perceived inservice training needs of those working in handicapped preschool programs in New Mexico and in El Paso Independent School District (EPSID). The New Mexico instrument was sent to all personnel in the state identified as having a connection with preschool programs for…

Rural teachers face difficulties (lower salaries, inadequate facilities, isolated living, scant inservice training, and inadequate housing) not found in urban school districts, and most have not been prepared for rural life and teaching by their teacher education programs. Specialized training for rural teachers is practically non-existent; most…

The United States government has no true national rural policy toward education and rural community development. The need exists for the federal government to assume a different role in these areas from what it has traditionally played. In the past the federal education enterprise has failed to relate the design, purpose, or implementation of its…

Problems in the development of educational programs in isolated rural areas are caused primarily by lack of proper resources, enough students to efficiently conduct a quality educational program, and skill and expertise by those persons involved in the development of such a program. Major trends in education for American Indians and for people in…

In 1923 John D. Rockefeller's General Education Board (GED) undertook a project to reform the public schools in two rural Indiana counties. The GED demonstration project developed from more than two decades of concern about America's rural problems. The attempt by cosmopolitan outside experts to change the rural schools is described. (RM)

Reports a longitudinal study comparing the differential influence of stress on the interpersonal relationships of 101 representative rural and urban families. Notes that high stress rates adversely affected rural, but not urban, intrafamilial interaction, and affected young families more than older ones. Notes implications for mental health and…

Provides an overview of some of the problems faced by teachers in rural and small schools and advances the need for inservice and preservice programs to teach special competencies necessary for teachers in rural communities. (SB)

In 1998 the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics held a working conference on issues pertaining to effective mathematics education in schools serving poor communities. This paper reprises some themes of that conference and highlights potentially important issues to consider in a research agenda with an intentional focus on rural mathematics…

This study of 174 students graduating from 11 small rural high schools in Iowa found that students felt themselves well prepared by their schools, that 80 percent went on to postsecondary education, and that most of these achieved a degree. Results are discussed with regard to the influence of the rural school and community in facilitating…

Reviews the ongoing efforts to profile the nation's elementary and secondary schools. The efforts will be incomplete unless new approaches address the diversity in the rural component of the public school universe. Discusses definitional, conceptual, methodological, and policy-application issues related to the task of constructing a federal…

In several studies, elementary school teachers identified problems involving affiliation, control, parent and home relations, student success, and time. Rural and urban elementary teachers reported similar concerns. However, rural teachers reported more problems with student success and control than suburban teachers, whereas suburban teachers…