Recent headlines have brought attention to the effects that unfavorable demographic and fiscal conditions are having on postsecondary education institutions. Among those most acutely feeling the pressures are likely to be institutions located in rural communities that are seeing more rapid population declines and lagging median income. This…

The role of political factors, specifically of public opinion, in the relatively low penetration of charter schools into rural America remains unclear. We use 8 years of national survey data to demonstrate that rural residents express less support for charter schools than residents of other locales do. We attribute this gap to differences in…

The dramatic slowdown in population growth in Appalachia since 1980 is the result of a sharp change in migration patterns. Both the metropolitan and nonmetropolitan populations increased much more slowly than in the United States as a whole, with metropolitan growth rates lagging farther behind the national rates. (BRR)

Applied eight categorical definitions of "rurality" to all 93 Nebraska counties. Cluster analysis yielded four clusters of counties that exhibited substantial differences from one another. Discussion includes implications for policy and research. Tables and reference list. (TES)

In Russia, preschool education, like higher education, is not compulsory, and access to it is not guaranteed by the state. At the same time, "the provision of state guarantees of access to and equal opportunities for acquiring a full-fledged education and achievement of new, up-to-date, high-quality preschool education" has been…

Employment and earnings increased in nonmetro areas during the 1990s, but less than in urban areas. The metro-nonmetro earnings gap reached a historical high in 1998 as businesses that used advanced technologies avoided rural locations where professional and skilled workers were in short supply. Metro and nonmetro employment and income data by…

Presents a factor analysis of the psychological constructs of "ruralness" and "urbanness" of place and person using university student survey. Found that population and physical environment account for perceived ruralness of place, but did not identify factors that account for ruralness of person. Includes three tables and references. (Author/TES)

Current Population Survey data indicate an overall decline in the rural-urban pay gap during the early 1990s (due to declining urban wages, not rising rural wages). In 1993, the earnings of 30 percent of rural full-time workers were below the poverty level. Compares low-income workers by gender, age group, education, and race/ethnicity. (LP)

In the study of compulsory education for transient children, Beijing Xingzhi School for the Children of Transient Workers is a good example. There is no question that this is the most well-known school to date for transient children in China, and it has to a certain extent become a symbol of this social issue. The initial reports regarding this…

Discusses the failure of National Health Service Corps (NHSC) programs to attract and retain minority medical students. Cites the program's failure to place minority graduates in appropriate urban settings. Includes statistical data on minority medical school applicants, enrollment, and graduates. (FMW)

Examines how individual characteristics and the employment opportunity structure vary for female-headed households in urban and nonmetropolitan areas. Finds little difference by residence on characteristics that influence poverty status. Employed nonmetro women more likely to have poverty incomes while opportunities for female headed nonmetro…

Reviews employment growth in rural and small town communities, focusing on two periods, 1940-70 and 1970-80. For the rest of the 1980s, predicts a slower growth in nonmetro areas--that is, slower than in metro areas and slower than in the 1970s--yet not as slow as in the 1960s. (JHZ)

Examines the relations among achievement motivation, locus of control, and the occupational and educational aspirations of 92 rural and 98 metropolitan 11th graders from South Dakota. Rural subjects had lower occupational and educational aspirations but did not differ from urban subjects in achievement motivation or locus of control. (Author/TES)

Describes status and challenge of worldwide illiteracy. Discusses statistical plausibility of universal literacy by 2000. Predicts literacy universalization will take from 14 to 21 years, depending on region, if 1980s trends continue. Implies literacy work requires action strategies commensurate with problem, including national programs and mass…

Examines poverty levels of young and elderly women who live alone. Of all elderly women, 30 percent are in poverty compared with 21 percent of single young women. Variables include participation in labor force, education, age, benefits, and ethnicity. Women in rural areas more likely to be in poverty. (Author/TES)