This qualitative case study examines how board members make sense of federal accountability policies and how their sensemaking shapes their use of assessment data as a policy instrument. Deviating from previous work on practitioner sensemaking, the participants' interpretations of assessments did not align with their ensuing use of the data.…

In-service courses have been used as a common strategy to build the capacity of teachers to meet the constantly changing demands of modern schooling. But how the teachers implement the ideas and strategies acquired from such in-service training and what conditions influence the implementation process is the least examined area in Pakistan,…

This paper is an examination of a teacher professional development program in northeast Louisiana, that provided 30 teachers and their students with the technology, skills, and content knowledge to collect data and explore weather trends. Data were collected from both continuous monitoring weather stations and simple school-based weather stations…

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…

In 1975, an experimental school program was introduced into three Indian villages, in order to make school schedules, curriculum, and teaching more relevant to village life; to select local residents as teachers; and to involve parents in planning. This article describes this program's implementation and notes its subsequent extension. (Author/SJL)

This report examines critical issues that rural educators face in establishing preschool programs. Even Start is a federal program designed to meet the educational needs of preschool children who have under-educated parents. In addition to participating in their child's education, the program requires parents to enroll in educational or vocational…

Studies of time needed for initial curriculum-based measurement (CBM) training and classroom use, administration of CBM tasks, measurement schedules, and teacher-selected independent variables among special education resource teachers (N=10) indicated that several factors can increase teacher efficiency in CBM and decrease the time initially…

This document responds to the Public Telecommunications Act of 1992 directing the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB) to report on prospects for distance learning projects to assist rural schools. Based on a literature review, case studies, and two audio conferences with leading educators and distance learning providers, the report focuses…

A drawback to living in rural areas is that technology can be slow to arrive. Describes a program developed by PRIMESTAR, a digital satellite television service headquartered in Philadelphia, to provide satellite dishes and receivers, at no cost, to schools across the country without access to cable TV. Highlights the experience of Coalcreek…

This book describes the chain stretching from President Nixon's announcement of the Experimental Schools Program in 1969 to the midpoint of its implementation in the Butte-Angels Camp School District (pseudonym for a small mountainous district 400 miles from Denver) in 1976. The story is told in some detail to illustrate the complexities of the…

A study examined flexible delivery modes that could be used to provide adult literacy and basic education (ALBE) to students in rural areas of Victoria, Australia. Telephone interviews were conducted with 29 students and 20 tutors and administrators involved in community-based programs, the 3CCC Airwaves Learning radio program, and off-campus…

A rural Vermont school district instituted needed and desired changes during a 3-year improvement effort. A 1982 needs assessment evaluated school performance in seven areas found to exist in effective schools. Change efforts followed three principles: all curriculum and policy changes were done on a district-wide and K-12 basis, teachers were not…

This manual is designed to assist management consultants in working with small-scale entrepreneurs in developing countries. Addressed in an overview of the small-scale enterprise (SSE) are: the role of the SSE in third world development, problems of SSEs, and target firms. The second chapter deals with various forms of management assistance to…

This report describes the strategies, accomplishments, and outcomes of a project designed to identify economically disadvantaged rural gifted children (grades 3-8) from African American, Hispanic, Native American, and Appalachian descended, rural Caucasian populations. Project objectives are outlined, along with evidence of their accomplishment.…

This is a report of the role of Distance education (DE) in enhancing education and training in developing countries. As countries compete in an ever more challenging international marketplace, they recognize the need to continually train and upgrade their citizenry. As national leaders struggle to cope with increasing populations and decreasing…