To have a successful teaching experience in a rural environment, a teacher must develop positive relationships with students (both in and outside of school), with parents, with the community, with teacher centers, and with professional associations. (CM)

Seventy six teachers and 737 social studies students from rural high schools in six states were surveyed to determine whether rural secondary social studies programs discuss topics and themes that provide an insight into rural America. Findings suggest that rural life-styles are inadequately portrayed in social studies curricula. (AM)

Reviews "Jesse Stuart on Education," edited by J. R. LeMaster, an anthology that presents a loosely chronological record of the student and teaching experiences of Jesse Stuart, eastern Kentucky writer and progressive educator. Contains an unpublished manuscript chapter from Stuart's "The Thread That Runs So True." (SV)

The reflective inquiry approach to teacher preparation is based on analysis of teaching "cases" and is particularly relevant for teachers in Alaska's rural multicultural schools. Students learn to ask ethical as well as pedagogical questions and to reflect upon larger issues imbedded in the details of school life. (Author/SV)

Examines a first-grade, rural school teacher's use of a newly adopted literature-based basal reading series over the course of one year. Finds that the teacher had a positive attitude toward the new series and believed that she had changed her methods and beliefs of teaching reading. Shows that in fact she modified the materials to meet her…

A survey examined attitudes toward internally generated school priorities among 29 elementary school teachers, 1 principal, and 278 parents in a small rural Wisconsin school district. Respondents comprised all educators in the district's only elementary school and the parents of 85 percent of the school's students. The 26-item survey examined…

This paper describes the efforts of a geographically isolated school district in Alaska to develop an outcome-based curriculum for preschool through 12th grade. In 1986, the new assistant superintendent for instruction introduced the idea of a district-wide outcome-based curriculum. The first curricular area selected for development was a…

Portfolio assessment, a technique traditionally used with elementary and secondary students, involves the presentation of a collection of individual work documenting the learner's efforts, progress, and achievement. Recently, it has been suggested that portfolio assessment be broadened in its application to include teacher hiring and evaluation.…

A holistic training program for rural teachers of mainstreamed special-needs students and other students at risk sought to improve teacher knowledge about and attitudes toward high-risk students. The graduate-level course was delivered in 6 full days of instruction and included components covering innovative instructional methods, abuse and…

Recent college graduates (N=162), teaching in schools of 600 or fewer students, rated the importance--to success in teaching--of 45 areas of college studies. Only two areas were rated below the mid-point on the scale of importance. Oral communications, discipline, classroom management, teaching major specialty, and motivating students were rated…

This study examined reasons for the high level of attrition among special education teachers in Alaska. A survey was sent to a stratified sample of 225 special educators in either remote, rural, or urban locations. Also surveyed were teachers who had removed their special education credentials and teachers who had moved out of state in 2001. A…

Case studies of five small and isolated rural schools in the south-central United States examined their participation and success in the Comprehensive School Reform Demonstration (CSRD) program. The schools included three elementary schools and two K-12 unit schools serving 71-473 students. All were at least 50 miles from a metropolitan area and…

Since the 1990-91 school year, an ongoing project has studied the implementation of the Kentucky Education Reform Act (KERA) in four rural Kentucky school districts. Study methods have included over 1,200 interviews with various stakeholders, observation of over 500 classroom instruction hours, and a comprehensive review of key documents. This…

In a survey of 100 elementary school teachers in rural Tennessee, teachers felt that reducing distractions, positive reinforcement, and frequent monitoring were the most effective techniques for teaching students with attention deficit disorders (ADD). Teachers suggested that many students with ADD were not being identified and indicated needs for…

Fifty rural physical educators teaching disabled students in northern New England completed the Reflective Ecological Inventory, which assists teachers to reflect on their teaching environment and the influence of mainstreaming on that environment to gain appropriate perspective and control. Contains 29 references. (SV)