Using data from Texas and Wisconsin to estimate cost functions for elementary and secondary education, examines whether the structure of certain cost-function relationships is different in rural versus nonrural school districts. Finds that although cost structures are similar, factors such as small schools and large percentages of economically…

Describes Wisconsin's cooperative education service agency program organized to help groups of small rural schools get special industrial education expertise that would be too costly for a single school to support. Presents K-12 curriculum descriptions for a cluster of five school districts with sequenced course content. (MF)

A survey of representative schools in Wisconsin, Iowa, Minnesota, and Illinois showed that most small and rural schools house middle-level students in buildings primarily designed for elementary or high school students. Middle level students often receive an inappropriate educational program that is not taught by teachers trained to understand and…

This report describes the legislative response to state supreme court rulings on rural and small schools and districts. The paper addresses the following questions: How have rural and small schools and school districts been affected by state supreme court rulings and subsequent legislation? What has been the experience of rural and small school…

This evaluation summary synthesizes the results of the first year of the Wisconsin Rural Reading Improvement Project (WRRIP), a project aimed at helping small, rural schools improve reading instruction by teaching reading as thinking (also termed "strategic reading"). The means used is staff development: specifically, a leadership team…

Describes inclusive practices in four small, rural Wisconsin schools. These models focus on scheduling for cross-categorical programming, including students with challenging behaviors, coteaching, and practicing inclusion in high school. Includes philosophy of inclusion and program features for each model. Contains 24 references. (SAS)

Based upon case studies, surveys conducted in 18 participating school districts in fall 1987 and spring 1988, meeting observations, discussions with project staff, and an audit trail, this report evaluates the first year of the Wisconsin Rural Reading Improvement Project (WRRIP), a school improvement project aimed at helping small, rural schools…

This report describes the development and implementation of a place-based curriculum for a small charter high school of 25 students in Wisconsin. The curriculum involved 100 days of field studies in local places such as historical archives, a restored wetland, a river valley, and a senior citizen community center. The students worked with 60…