Examines the relative contributions of gender and context (rural, urban, suburban) in explaining variability among high school students on measures of vocabulary, reading comprehension, mathematics, perceptual discrimination, paired-associated memory, and spatial reasons. Reports that with socioeconomic status controlled, gender and context…

Compares responses of counselors in isolated school settings to their non-isolated peers on work environment issues. Reports isolated counselors viewed themselves and their role as more highly valued and felt a greater sense of control than their non-isolated peers, but found obstacles to service delivery in isolated settings. (Author/DHP)

Compares available placements for severely handicapped students in rural and urban areas. Reports that rural students are more often placed in resource rooms, whereas their more urban peers are placed in special schools. Suggests rural placements are dictated simply by small numbers of severely handicapped students. Contains 16 references.…

Describes the results of a study of the preferred learning style of rural and urban secondary school students. Reports rural students significantly higher in serious, analytical, and active practical learner characteristics than their urban counterparts as well as more observation centered and fact oriented. (Author/DHP)

Reports results of a 1977-78 survey of administrators in 122 Tennessee school districts to determine psychological services available, immediate and future manpower needs, positions available, and appropriate training. Notes that most districts both provided and need more services and that psychological service differed in rural and urban…

Examines issues of how school districts finance facility needs. Reviews numerous recent legal decisions addressing capital outlay; discusses implications for educational policymakers. Concludes that court proceedings and research literature suggest an important association between wealth dependency and unmet needs in funding school district…

Examines attitudes of rural and urban teacher educators and graduate students toward extended teacher education programs. Reports less than 33 percent favor extending the programs. A majority favor increasing professional coursework and field experiences. Results support existing 4-year programs, though urban teachers favor more change than rural…

Reports on characteristics, career patterns, and career satisfaction of 269 teacher education graduates, 1966-1976, who completed either a bachelors degree or an M.A. in teaching. Finds that career satisfaction was related to degree program completed (masters vs. bachelors) and to school locale (rural vs. suburban). Contains 19 references. (SV)

Examines the informal administrative career path leading from the rural school district to "big league" urban and suburban areas. Reviews research emphasizing the importance of the superintendent in effective rural districts. Suggests a subsidized preparation program specifically for rural administrator candidates, involving an intensive…

Reviews various sociological concepts of "rural" and the definitional problems related to occupational, sociocultural, ecological, and multidimensional conceptions of rurality. Describes and recommends multidimensional typologies developed by the United States Department of Agriculture's Economic Research Services and the Maine State Planning…

Analyzes Kansas statewide data on school building condition, capital outlay funding, and other fiscal aspects. Finds 32 variables that contribute to school districts' ability to sustain effective capital outlay programs. Concludes that district wealth significantly affects building condition and capital project planning, and suggests special…

A total of 144 teachers from rural and urban schools in North Dakota responded to open-ended questions related to students' behavior problems. Differences between students from rural and urban schools are described in the areas of serious behavior problems, handling behavior problems, and eliminating behavior problems. (Author/NEC)

Provides an overview of how one rural state (Vermont) and respective educational partners (local schoolteachers, administrators, school board, and higher education faculty members) reviewed the effective school research, various models for school improvement alternative data collection instruments, and procedures for analyzing student test data.…

Draws on a 1980 survey of 30,000 high school sophomores and 1982 followup to compare rural graduates and dropouts by race, sex, grades, test scores, socioeconomic status, self concept, locus of control, ratings of school conditions, and educational aspirations. Compares urban, rural, and suburban dropouts. Contains 18 references. (SV)

Compares test scores and class offerings in Connecticut's small schools with larger, noncity counterparts. "Small" high schools had fewer than 150 students per grade. Finds no differences between large and small school districts' achievement scores. Large high schools offered more advanced courses than small or medium schools.…