The purpose of the study was to make a qualitative assessment of the impact of school consolidation on several rural Nebraska communities that have recently lost their schools. This research uses a multiple-case study design with interviews conducted in three Nebraska communities. The data from this research fell into four broad themes: social…

Describes nine of Colorado's smallest rural elementary school communities. Shows how they fall into six community types (agricultural, rural industrial, stable recreational, ranching/railroad, rural commuter, loosely structured/isolated). Notes the interdependence of rural schools and their communities. Explains how the idea of school as community…

The longing for a sense of "community" has become a major theme in recent writings about educational and social issues. An analysis of the potential for creating viable and meaningful community in schools is the focus of this book. Using sociological theory and social analysis, it examines how schools achieve community and explores how…

The major problem of this study is that of identifying how schools function as both a determiner and a reflector of a society or community. It addresses three fundamental questions. First, access questions are dealt with, e.g. who participates--what is the position or social standing of community participants in schools. Second, process questions…

This policy paper addresses policymakers' concerns about parents' dwindling role in their children's lives and the resulting burden that has been placed on schools. A historical perspective of the roles of families and schools is provided. First, the man's employment in a job outside the home as households left the farm, and then the mother's…

Rural work-education councils are free-standing voluntary associations of community leaders averaging around 21 to 25 voting members who are organized by task-specific action committees working to improve and expand educational and economic development options and thus ease the education-to-work transition in rural America. There are currently…

This bulletin is written to help answer questions on the rural school's part in good living, to be of use to teachers, parents, and supervisors in discussion groups or in individual planning. It points out that rural communities, from poor to average to well-to-do, are making new demands on education. It shows scenes from schools that are meeting…