As a followup to a 1963 study, 2 University of Oregon education professors traveled to 25 small towns to uncover today's adolescents' attitudes toward school and teachers. Like their 1963 counterparts, today's students are more concerned about relationships with teachers than curriculum, homework, and tests--attitudes ignored by current reform…

While visiting small town school districts across the country, two educational administration professors discovered that boards of education everywhere faced the same challenges and exercised considerable competence, conscientiousness, and civic responsibility. Chief concerns were trying economic circumstances, changing demography, and district…

Restructuring of small school districts calls for power changes, including relationships: (1) between the community and the school; (2) among teachers, administrators, and students in the school; and (3) between teachers and students in the classroom. A trip to 25 small town school districts in 21 states revealed few instances of democracy, and…

Presents observations of small district school boards based on travels through 21 states. Small communities have faced economic decline, a changing membership of school boards and consolidation, with less representation of professionals and business leaders. Recommended tasks of school boards involve (1) facilitating communication; (2) forming…

This paper describes a study that consisted of interviews with 38 elementary school principals in 21 Western and Midwestern states. The sample was made up of 27 men and 11 women with an age range of 35 to 64, all of whom worked in small-town schools. The paper describes the various challenges faced by these principals, including academic deficits,…

Visits to 25 small rural school districts in 21 states revealed three prevailing myths about equal education held by teachers and administrators: (1) some children can't learn; (2) providing the same education to all students is providing equal education; and (3) "we have no problems" in providing equal educational opportunities.…

During a 6-month odyssey over America's back roads, 80 schools in 25 small school districts in 21 states were visited, in hopes of finding effective schools where smallness facilitated participation by all. District size ranged from 450 to 2,000 students. Data collection included observation of classes and meetings; group interviews of classes;…