Most small, rural schools are not equipped to provide each and every student with an education which provides students with learning experiences that are necessary for the development of basic academic and non-academic skills. Therefore, small, rural schools need to identify and utilize the various human, natural, and social resources which…

An Elementary and Secondary Education Act Title III program for attacking education problems in the rural areas of Pinal County, Arizona, is described in this report. The program serves approximately 3,174 children in grades K through 8, many of whom are minorities. Included in the program are these resource or supplementary components: a math…

The school farm is a small plat of ground at or near the public schoolhouse, cultivated by a volunteer association, in the interest of the public school. The purpose of the school farm is threefold: (1) to give the school a new meaning as a factor in the socialization of rural life; (2) to vitalize school life by the introduction of new practical…

Presents observations of a newly appointed Amish teacher in an Amish school and reveals classroom procedures in elementary-level education during several periods in the school year. Observations reveal no classroom competition, yet successful student learning. There were few significant differences between the practices of experienced and…

Describes how students in a rural Missouri high school collaborated online with students in an urban New York high school to create a mural in real space that celebrates the strengths of their two communities. Students had to conduct research, create a design, and then paint collaboratively via the Internet. The project forced them to address…

Describes how one rural school district provides staff development through an on-line program that is followed up with on-site training. Teachers learn key concepts of learning styles via the on-line program, then receive on-site training followed by 8 hours of field practice. A sidebar examines different learning styles. (SM)

Gender differences remain in American schools and influence the learning experiences of girls and boys. Since students spend a large portion of their day in school, it is important to examine the beliefs teachers hold with regard to gender socialization. The purpose of this study was to compare the consistency between the gender beliefs and…

This article sets out to compare and contrast two different projects, aimed to get primary teachers collaborating online, with respect to advice from research on how to engage participants. The first project tried to encourage teachers in small rural schools to share ideas for the implementation of the National Numeracy Strategy. The second was…

This report, drawing on data from a teacher survey, summarizes methods for the effective selection of students and teaching strategies for combination classrooms (CC). A CC is defined as having two or more grade levels in one classroom. A total of 256 CC elementary school teachers completed a questionnaire, including participants of a Combination…

This publication describes adaptations of teaching methods and instructional materials to meet the special needs of rural students in the late 1930s. These "newer" types of instruction were often child centered, and included: (1) grouping subject matter into broad divisions such as social studies and language arts rather than the traditional…

This digest presents recent findings about effective instructional practices for classroom teachers in small schools. In terms of instruction, small schools have two characteristics: a broader scope of teacher responsibilities and more instructional levels per classroom. Teachers in small schools have the opportunity to develop the student as a…

As a model for development of instructional materials, this thesis is suggested for teachers of English-as-a-second-language who are finding difficulty in relating their students'"subcultural" background to the more dominant society. The methods described are based on nearly a decade of experience with rural schoolboys in Thessaloniki,…

Analysis of studies indicates textbooks and teaching methods in rural social studies programs, like those in nonrural programs, stress information rather than critical thinking and inquiry skills, are not relevant to students' own lives, and do not exhibit individual teacher resourcefulness nor use local resources. (MM)

Part One of this book discusses the curricular cases, curricular changes, needed changes in instructional delivery, and the visible and invisible dropout. Part Two provides new data on delinquency and dropouts, alternative centers for learning, noncurricular changes, immigrant and seasonal farm workers, and current prevention practices. This book…

Profiles some of the efforts of Appalachian educators to connect area children with their heritage while combating the trends toward school dropout and poverty. Teaching students the history behind their own dialect and customs helps them accept the customs and speech of others and helps them overcome stereotypes. (SLD)