As an introduction to this special issue of "The Rural Educator" on the topic of collaboration, I provide examples of how collaboration offers promise as a partnership solution to current and future education challenges of rural schools and their communities. Highlights of two literature reviews establish a historical context for…

The Rural Math Excel Partnership (RMEP) identified math competencies used by technicians in the workplace compared to standards of learning required in the public school curriculum. A modified DACUM process revealed 39 math competencies used by technicians in STEM-related occupations of the rural region. Group interviews with faculty in three…

This paper provides a foundation for researchers in mathematics education and vocational education (now commonly called career and technical education) to begin exploring an interdisciplinary research agenda that will create new knowledge and innovations for living and working in rural areas in the 21st century. The need for interdisciplinary…

A search of Dissertation Abstracts International, 1989-93, identified 196 doctoral dissertations concerned with rural education. Dissertations were assigned to one or more topics and subtopics of the Rural Education Research and Development Menu. "Overall effectiveness of rural schools" received 121 of 248 assignments, followed by human…

Discusses consolidation as a method to reduce the costs of rural education. Describes the interrelatedness of the rural economy and rural education. Enumerates advantages and disadvantages of small schools. Suggests that educational reform should focus on the unique circumstances of rural schools. (KS)

A conference of 47 science, mathematics, and technology educators and rural education experts from across the country prepared a research agenda regarding science and mathematics achievement in poor, rural schools. Researchable questions were grouped into categories of community support, instructional resources, leadership and school reform,…

Suggests that school-to-work initiatives can be an important policy tool for rural development. Discusses key components of school-to-work systems (school-based learning, work-based learning, and connecting activities); national and international trends impacting rural economies; rural advantages and weaknesses related to economic development; and…

The philosophical debate about making high fliers out of low academic achievers in places considered educationally and culturally deprived like rural Appalachia warms the hearts of those who see education as the road to economic well-being for the nation. However, education reform rhetoric must be saleable to rural residents who distrust outsiders…

Describes characteristics of the "ideal" rural teacher and highlights the significant issues associated with recruiting and retaining such teachers in rural schools. Claims that new ideas and approaches will be necessary if small rural schools, often located in very isolated and poor areas, are to attract qualified teachers. (Contains 34…

Although the problem varies across the United States, overall there is a shortage of rural teachers, especially in the subject areas of math, science, and special education. Recruiting teachers for rural settings requires targeting persons with rural backgrounds, attacking the negative stereotypes surrounding rural schools, and stressing the…

A case study of Oneida High School (Oneida, Tennessee) in December 1997 examined influences and unique circumstances that sustained the school in the face of possible closure and enabled it to "flourish." The study included structured interviews with over 70 individuals in the school and community, focus groups, and informal…

The School-to-Work Opportunities Act of 1994 established a national framework to guide the development of statewide school-to-work (STW) opportunities systems in each state. Governors apply to the National School-to-Work Office for 5-year federal implementation grants. Early research on implementation of STW in rural areas suggests that…

This paper describes four considerations for policymakers who wish to have public schools serve as viable partners in the rural development efforts of their communities. First, schools are a community resource. When rural students are given opportunities to engage in community-based learning, they develop responsible citizenship and leadership…

This resource guide provides information on community service-learning activities for rural students. The guide is based on focus-group sessions in which participants from five rural Appalachian counties identified community service activities that would enhance students' academic success, improve their transition from school to work, and address…

To have an impact on rural schools and communities, education researchers and reformers must stop approaching rural issues from an urban perspective, adopt a perspective that values rurality, and address issues specific to the rural context. Rural schools have contributed to the depletion of rural communities by focusing on individual mobility and…