Examines dropout rates in small village high schools. Reports that the shift from boarding schools to small village high schools has dramatically reduced the dropout rates of rural Alaska native students. Suggests related characteristics are small size, personalized atmosphere, sense of community, and individualized instruction. (DHP)

Small, sometimes multi-cultural, rural schools need specialized preservice teacher education programs to prepare teachers. After outlining the classroom, school, and sociocultural characteristics affecting a teacher's success and survival in a rural community, this paper discusses the apparent lack of rural content in teacher preparation programs…

The 14 symposium papers presented in this document provide a diverse historical and personal interpretation of Alaska's educational development. Titles and authors are: "Conflicting Priorities, Conflicting Opinions: Alaskan Development and Sheldon Jackson, Educator" (Ted Hinckley); "Sheldon Jackson and the Constitutionality of the…

As a component of the University of Alaska's Cross-Cultural Orientation Program (X-COP), this journal provides a forum for rural Alaska teachers to share ideas and insights. Articles in this issue discuss: (1) the inadequacies of educational research for defining the essence of effective teaching; (2) making the classroom culturally compatible…

In this collection, eight master teachers with extensive experience in small, rural Alaska schools describe some of the ways they have adapted instruction to rural Alaskan circumstances. These papers discuss: (1) the characteristics of effective rural teachers; (2) adapting the "Coping!" curriculum for affective education to the cultural…

Describes the successful school serving preschool-twelfth grade in St. Mary's Alaska--a small remote Yupik community. Examines the bilingual curriculum, strong community support, and the school's philosophy and goals emphasizing integration of Yupik ways and values and the educational responsibility of the community. (SV)

Boarding schools were the only option for rural high school students in Alaska until 1976, when the state began building many, very small, village high schools following a class action law suit. Selective, academic boarding schools continue to be an option. A survey of rural households found community satisfaction and improved student outcomes as…

In this collection, 32 Alaskan principals, retired principals, assistant principals, and principals-to-be share their experiences as administrators and reflect on their feelings about the nature of the work and about schooling issues in Alaska. Nine of the writings were selected from "Totem Tales," the newsletter of Alaska's Association…

In this collection, nine master teachers with extensive experience in small, rural Alaska schools describe classroom management techniques that have proven effective in their multigraded classrooms. Over half the document consists of one paper, the last in the volume, entitled "More like a School Family than Just a Teacher and His or Her…

This manual offers practical advice to educators on conducting a job search and obtaining a position in Alaska. Alaska Teacher Placement (University of Alaska Fairbanks) is a statewide clearinghouse for the placement of educators. Although Alaska's certification requirements are similar to those of other states, school administrators are also…

The 80-year history of education at Eagle on the Yukon (Alaska) includes 40 years when a dual system (white-Indian) was in operation, times when only one school was open, and changes following statehood. Eagle City was founded in 1898; the first white school opened in 1901 with seven students. The Indians lived at Eagle Village, 3 miles upriver.…

This document reports on a six-part study conducted during 1993-94 evaluating rural secondary education in Alaska. A survey of 152 graduates of Mt. Edgecumbe High School (a boarding school attended by rural students) examined how well their educational experiences prepared them for college, trade school, and employment. A telephone survey of 800…

In this anthology, rural Alaskan English teachers in the Bread Loaf Rural Teacher Network describe their experiences implementing new state education standards while continuing their commitment to learner-centered and place-based practice. The book presents narratives about teaching grounded in knowledge and understanding of students and…

Key points of presentations are captured in this report of a conference which addressed issues of concern to educators in Alaska's small schools. A total of 119 presentations are briefly summarized. Contents are organized under five headings: effective leadership strategies, curriculum and instruction, computers and telecommunication, assessment,…

This report summarizes a study conducted during 1993-94 evaluating rural secondary education in Alaska. The six components of the study included: (1) a survey of boarding school graduates concerning how well their educational experience prepared them for college, trade school, and employment; (2) a telephone survey of 800 rural households…