Examines dropout rates in small village high schools. Reports that the shift from boarding schools to small village high schools has dramatically reduced the dropout rates of rural Alaska native students. Suggests related characteristics are small size, personalized atmosphere, sense of community, and individualized instruction. (DHP)

Teachers for Rural Alaska is a fifth year program leading to secondary teacher certification and focusing on preparation for teaching in small village high schools with predominantly Native populations. Emphasizing a reflective inquiry orientation, the program aims to develop teachers who (1) can identify crucial problems and dilemmas in rural,…

Boarding schools were the only option for rural high school students in Alaska until 1976, when the state began building many, very small, village high schools following a class action law suit. Selective, academic boarding schools continue to be an option. A survey of rural households found community satisfaction and improved student outcomes as…

Designed to celebrate rural teachers' inventiveness and stimulate teacher thinking about opportunities that small schools offer, this booklet is a collection of ideas and resources that have worked in specific Alaska school settings. An introductory chapter challenges teachers to use small size to advantage. Chapter 2 shows what rural teachers are…

Fifteen years' experience of conducting politically controversial statewide research on rural/small school and Alaska Native educational issues in Alaska forms the background of this paper, which identifies practical strategies for gaining access to sites and data, developing support for research enterprises, and communicating information in ways…

The paper discusses dilemmas in doing research on the kinds of teachers who are effective with Eskimo and Indian children in isolated, rural Alaska communities. Issues discussed are identification of effective cross-cultural teachers by a "multiple hurdle" technique; criteria that 228 teachers, 29 administrators, and 40 community members…

The evaluation of the Iditarod Area School District small high schools program provided useful information for future program development. The 1978 program for 87 students in 9 scattered schools included: student travel within Alaska and in the lower 48 states; student travel within the district for mini-courses and a student congress; and the…

Educational strategies that small rural high schools can use to address important developmental needs of rural youth were explored, focusing on the importance of educational environments outside traditional high school classrooms, (i.e., work-experience programs, student exchange programs, and travel-study). Of the 92 Alaskan village high schools…