This article presents perspectives on how principals in schools in northern Norway value the school reform "The Knowledge Promotion" and the new National Curriculum (LK06). It is based on a survey of all primary schools in the region of Finnmark and interviews with five of these principals one year later. The region of Finnmark in Norway…

With the demands on schools to prepare its students to be globally competitive in the 21st century, schools are forced to examine new ways to meet those demands. One of the new reform ideas is that of restructuring traditional high schools into small schools within schools. Through the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation and the North Carolina…

This article describes the just-in-time online professional development offered to teachers in the Remote Networked Schools (RNS), a systemic initiative funded by the Quebec Ministry of Education (Canada), which aims at enriching the learning environment of small rural schools with the use of information and communication technologies (ICTs). The…

This article reports the findings of a study commissioned by the Montana Small Schools Alliance to explore the challenges and sustainability practices of frontier schools. A Montana frontier school is defined as a school district with 200 or fewer students with its attendant community located in a county with five or fewer people per square mile.…

The No Child Left Behind (NCLB) legislation of 2001 increased the stakes for all schools to increase student achievement by mandating all students meet or exceed state standards by 2014. A small rural school responded 5 years ago to their failure to make adequate yearly progress (AYP) by implementing professional learning communities (PLC) as a…

The purpose of this quantitative study was to determine whether there are any differences in what school board members look for in the areas of personal characteristics and professional skills when hiring a superintendent. A sample population of school board members who were serving at a school that had an opening for a superintendent during the…

The role of principal is a multifaceted one. Beyond the duties associated with the general education program, principals are essential in making inclusion work within their buildings (Quigney, 1996). Information about the ways in which rural and small-school principals administrate the special education programs in their buildings was the focus of…

A RESEARCH SURVEY IS DESCRIBED WHICH EXAMINES THE TEACHER'S ROLE IN THE SMALL RURAL SCHOOL AS IT IS PERCEIVED BY PRINCIPALS AND TEACHERS CURRENTLY EMPLOYED IN SMALL RURAL SCHOOLS, BY FACULTY MEMBERS IN COLLEGES AND DEPARTMENTS OF EDUCATION, AND BY TEACHER TRAINING STUDENTS IN FIVE STATES PARTICIPATING IN THE WESTERN STATES SMALL SCHOOLS PROJECT.…

This study presents historical data describing the building and consolidating of 1 and 2 room schools in Kentucky from 1914 to 1969. The report consists of 4 sections: (1) brief history, (2) pictures, (3) newspaper clippings, and (4) maps. [Not available in hard copy due to marginal legibility of original document.] (TL)

Describes results of a 1981 survey of 162 small rural schools in Montana. Notes that teachers cited educational finance as the main rural education problem and that Montana's rural teachers receive few incentives. Reports results pertaining to preparing teachers for rural settings, curriculum development, school-community relationships, and…

A survey of 148 rural independent, multigrade elementary school districts in Montana examined how districts compensate their teachers and whether or not that compensation has kept pace with larger school districts. The results indicate that rural school teachers in many cases work for less money than any other group of teachers in the state. Only…

Studies suggest that the challenge of violence in public schools can be met through character education, whether by providing a school culture in which core values are practiced or some form of moral training (indoctrination). To assess the need for character education in rural schools, small-school superintendents and board members in central…

In 1973 a survey of teachers (361) and administrators (41) in 44 very small West-Texas secondary schools revealed highly positive opinions about the small secondary school and its educative and social functions. The same survey sent to the same schools in 1983 revealed similar positive opinions. Surveys covered three items: (1) teaching and…

Three surveys deal with the architectural aspects of country schools in eastern, western and northeastern Kansas. Although country schools of the late 1800's and early 1900's often sprang up before there were pupils to attend them, the surveys reveal that many early schools were 3-month subscription schools which generally did not have their own…

Reports on the education provided by three rural Australian central schools, as perceived by their administrators, teachers, students, and parents. Emphasizes the importance of the central school as a community focal point, the benefits of small class size, and the desire for a broader curriculum. Contains 10 references. (SV)