Special education teachers in rural settings face unique challenges related to providing transition services to secondary students with intellectual and other developmental disabilities (IDD). Geographically isolated school districts tend to have limited collaborative partnership opportunities and access to quality professional development to…

REL Appalachia conducted a systematic review of the research evidence on the effects of increased learning time. After screening more than 7,000 studies, REL Appalachia identified 30 that met the most rigorous standards for research. A review of those 30 studies found that increased learning time does not always produce positive results. However,…

Rural Underpinnings for Resiliency and Linkages (RURAL) is an example of a Safe Schools/Healthy Students project. Using a public health approach to increase school safety and promote healthy behaviors, RURAL introduced strategies designed to provide universal prevention for the school population, early intervention for at-risk children and…

Provides an overview of this special issue that examines the implementation of the Safe Schools/Healthy Students (SS/HS) Initiative in seven local communities. An overview of the SS/HS Initiative is provided. Critical lessons learned from the seven sites are discussed with a focus on the special role that school psychologists can play in…

Discusses problems associated with teen sex, the relationship between teen sexuality and self-esteem, and problems with traditional sex-education programs. Outlines factors in effective sex education, emphasizing the importance of a comprehensive health program. Discusses problems specific to rural areas, and includes examples of programs…

This paper examines the use of telecommunications in rural schools in the United States as a solution to the problems teachers face when they have small classes, five or six class preparations daily, extracurricular duties, and inadequate training for specific classes. Telecommunications in schools in Minnesota and Kansas and a Star Schools Model…

Designed to help educators and policymakers consider the effective use of currently-evolving distance learning technologies, this policy brief examines: (1) the need for distance learning; (2) the most promising combinations of technologies (two-way television, one-way television with audio return, and audiographics); (3) the cost-effectiveness of…

Emerging Literacy Technology Curriculum (ELiTeC 2, [referred to as E2 in this report]), housed at the Center for Best Practices in Early Childhood at Western Illinois University, was funded in 2000 by the U.S. Department of Education's Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP) as a 3-year Phase 3 Steppingstones of Technology Research on…

The use of positive behavior supports (PBS) based on functional behavioral assessment (FBA) has produced dramatic improvements in problem behaviors of challenging students. This approach is a long-term strategy to reduce inappropriate behavior, teach more appropriate behavior, and provide contextual supports necessary for successful outcomes. Yet…

This booklet surveys the possibilities in instituting a 4-day school week, an approach which has gained favor in some small school districts. The history of the 4-day week and its characteristics are first described. Drawing on case studies of districts that have begun the 4-day schedule, the authors enumerate the steps in proposing and…

Abt Associates' concluding report on its research of the federally funded Experimental Schools (ES) program identifies educational needs in rural schools, introduces the substance of the ES program, and presents the major findings of the research in terms of the dynamics of rural school districts and the design and implementation of federal…

The state-of-the-art review addresses the problems faced by rural education in the area of curriculum development and suggests that mechanisms for curriculum development may need to be different or redefined to allow rural schools to operate at their maximum potential. The report looks at the positive and negative factors influencing rural…

This report illustrates how community service learning can be used as a vehicle for achieving the goals of education and youth development and, concurrently, how it is highly consistent with the goals of systemic educational reform, particularly in rural schools and communities. Part 1 covers the definition of service learning as a method of…