Drawing on qualitative case study research in four small schools, this paper explores the relationship between the professional contexts of schools--specifically supports for: (1) collaboration focused on improving instruction; (2) professional development and teacher learning opportunities; and (3) the degree to which teachers have authority and…

My study explores a curriculum development project for Israel education in a liberal Jewish high school. Through an action research framework, I investigate the tensions between teaching about Israel to achieve critical thinking goals and to facilitate students' development of positive affinity for Israel. I also explore the affordances and…

Two projects of individualizing spelling instruction utilizing different methodology are reported in this document. The program for students in grades 2-6 was based on the "Brigham Young University Laboratory Guide," and the program for junior high students was developed by the instructor of the program. The project reports present…

This report is one of nine detailed case studies of small urban high schools that served as the foundation for the Education Resource Strategies (ERS) report "Strategic Designs: Lessons from Leading Edge Small Urban High Schools." These nine schools were dubbed "Leading Edge Schools" because they stand apart from other high…

In this collection, eight master teachers with extensive experience in small, rural Alaska schools describe some of the ways they have adapted instruction to rural Alaskan circumstances. These papers discuss: (1) the characteristics of effective rural teachers; (2) adapting the "Coping!" curriculum for affective education to the cultural…

Education Resource Strategies (ERS) works with school and district leaders to help them more strategically use resources--people, time, and money--to improve student performance. They have found that many school districts begin creating small high schools without a clear sense of how much they will spend or how to ensure that small schools…

This report is one of nine detailed case studies of small urban high schools that served as the foundation for the Education Resource Strategies (ERS) report "Strategic Designs: Lessons from Leading Edge Small Urban High Schools." These nine schools were dubbed "Leading Edge Schools" because they stand apart from other high…

THE CONTROVERSY REGARDING THE PROGRAM EFFECTIVENESS OF SMALL SCHOOLS HAS BEEN BASED ON NINE INVALID ASSUMPTIONS REGARDING THE NUMBER OF STUDENTS INVOLVED, PROBLEMS OF TEACHING, PROGRAM QUALITY AND TEACHING, SCHOOL REDISTRICTING, EDUCATIONAL FINANCE, CURRICULUM, LEADERSHIP ROLE, INHERENT STRENGTHS, AND QUALITY AS A FUNCTION OF NUMBERS. THE MAJOR…

This document summarizes the deliberations of the Commonwealth Pacific Regional Workshop, which focused on the cost effectiveness of small schools. Advantages of small schools include equity for disadvantaged groups, opportunities for rural development, preservation of cultural traditions, and the potential for educational advantages. One task…

A year-long study investigated the perceptions, attitudes, and beliefs of rural educators concerning gifted learners and their educational needs. Participants were all K-12 teachers (43) and administrators (3) in a single, rural southeastern Kansas school district serving 518 students. During the study, conducted in school year 1985, teachers…

This report is one of nine detailed case studies of small urban high schools that served as the foundation for the Education Resource Strategies (ERS) report "Strategic Designs: Lessons from Leading Edge Small Urban High Schools." These nine schools were dubbed "Leading Edge Schools" because they stand apart from other high…

Using information from relevant literature and recent surveys and interviews with administrators of many of Rhode Island's smaller school districts, the report identifies options/strategies which may be useful in counteracting the potential adverse effects that low, or significantly declining, enrollments may have on the comprehensiveness of a…

The 1983 joint meeting, attended by approximately 450 administrators, school board members, teachers, state legislators, parents, and other interested persons, was the location for the United States Department of Education's announcement of a national policy on rural education. The proceedings contain texts of the 5 major conference addresses,…

THE HISTORY OF SMALL SCHOOLS REVEALS THAT EVEN AFTER MASSIVE REDISTRICTING IN THE 1950'S THERE WERE OVER 5000 SMALL HIGH SCHOOLS IN THE UNITED STATES WHICH COULD NOT BE REDISTRICTED. MOST OF THESE SCHOOLS WERE FINANCIALLY UNABLE TO PUT MORE MONEY INTO THEIR PROGRAMS, AND AS A RESULT MANY BECAME INVOLVED IN PROJECTS (10 ARE DESCRIBED HERE) WHICH…

The 1982 proceedings of the joint meeting of the Fourth Annual Kansas State University Rural and Small Schools Conference and the Kansas Community Education Association Conference contain texts of 33 papers with separate bibliographies, plus the conference agenda. Topics most discussed are curriculum development/planning, computers and…