To support rural postsecondary students' college access and completion, researchers, policy makers, and educators need a more comprehensive understanding of their demographic characteristics and financial needs, especially compared to nonrural students. Previous rural-nonrural analyses have not disaggregated students by degree type (bachelor's,…

Characteristics of schools that have succeeded in becoming unusually effective for all students include the following: (1) insistence that all participants take responsibility for improvement; (2) persistence in seeking to attain high standards; (3) resiliency in moving forward despite obstacles and discouragements; and (4) consistency in…

This report contains findings and discussion concerning the influence of contextual factors upon the student teaching experience. Introductory remarks explain the rationale for the study as well as the substance of other documents resulting from it. A section describing methodology reports that data for the study were collected from two sites: a…