Adjunct faculty are important to academe and have been part of community colleges since the early 20th century, providing community colleges flexibility with student enrollment by filling instruction needs while keeping salaries manageable. Rural community college adjunct faculty bring industry expertise and many other positives to their work.…

This exploratory research surveyed faculty who instruct in community colleges from 18 states about their attitudes toward the concealed carry gun policies that allow appropriately licensed citizens to carry a handgun in public places such as college campuses. Building upon previous research involving 4-year institutions, we surveyed 1,889…

Rural educators in three states were surveyed regarding their perceptions of parental involvement in their schools. Significant indicators impacting student success included the expectation of parents and their attitudes toward education. Two strategies used to incorporate varying cultures and languages into the school community were creating a…

The strongest advocates for agricultural education are the educators who teach it and the students who reap the results of their learning. Teacher advocates in Idaho discuss how their efforts have made a difference at the local and state levels. The author describes an approach the teacher advocates take to advocacy which proves that it isn't just…

Professional Learning Communities (PLCs) provide the basis for meeting the challenges and expectations in today's educational environment. Effective PLCs provide the framework for school improvement and ultimately impact student academic success. School leadership is fundamental in this process (Bennis, 2009; Buffum, Mattos, & Weber, 2009;…

The DARE (Drug Abuse Resistance Education) program teaches students decision-making skills, shows them how to resist peer pressure to experiment with drugs and alcohol, and provides positive alternatives to drug use. This report looks at one state's DARE programs. Included are an overview of the implementation process, a program appraisal with…

The work of E. Boyer (1995) and his "Basic School" research were used as a model for building community on one southeastern Idaho junior high school. Boyer's research concludes that the most successful ingredient for a successful school is "connections," and that those connections are predicated on a school becoming a community…

This proceedings contains five papers. "Learning in the Workplace: A Qualitative Study of Skill and Knowledge Acquisition in Youth Apprenticeship Programs" (Cheryl E. P. Evanciew) discusses research on youth apprenticeship programs as opportunities for contextual, meaningful, and relevant use of knowledge gained in school. "Effects…

As part of a study of racial relations between Mexican Americans and Anglo Americans in rural Idaho, over 60 teachers, school administrators, and students were interviewed in educational institutions in five southwestern Idaho communities. One high school was the focus of field research, which also included attending school activities and school…