The state-of-the-art review addresses the problems faced by rural education in the area of curriculum development and suggests that mechanisms for curriculum development may need to be different or redefined to allow rural schools to operate at their maximum potential. The report looks at the positive and negative factors influencing rural…

The accessibility of higher education to women and minorities was studied, with a focus on the University of California, Berkeley. Information was also obtained on the University of California system, the California State University system, and the community college system. In order to provide comparative information for Quebec, Canada, access of…

Examining the economic status of Native women in Alaska, this report compares the economic well being of Native women to other women in the state and nation, looks at factors contributing to their economic status, and makes positive action recommendations. Based on 1970 and 1980 census data, chapter I analyzes the 50% increase of Alaska Native…

Rural areas' population growth, location, level of economic activity and social well-being depend less on natural resource endowments than on such factors as transportation, communication, labor force characteristics, and urbanization. General causes of the 1970's urban-to-rural migration included fewer changes in the structure of agriculture,…

A five-year project that used evidence from a variety of disciplines and cultures to develop a framework to help educational policymakers identify ways of achieving the full range of human potential in a given population is described. The project sponsor is an international non-profit institution dedicated to the cause of disadvantaged children…

College enrollments and degree attainment of minorities are reported, along with the role of minority institutions in the education of black students, the retention of high school and college minority students, and academic employment of minority Ph.D.s. In addition, the problem of using data that aggregate all minority groups is discussed.…

In 1983-84, the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) administered a 15-task writing assessment in grades 4, 8, and 11. The tasks involved informative, persuasive, and imaginative writing, and were evaluated at one of four levels of success: unsatisfactory; rudimentary or minimal performance; satisfactory; or detailed and controlled…

Data obtained from interviews with 1,804 non-institutionalized Hispanic elderly (age 55 and over) were analyzed to determine what factors best predict this group's use of informal mental health support (i.e., spouse, relatives, and friends). The study was a secondary analysis of data collected in 1979-80 using a national sample stratified by…

A study examined the extent to which formal and informal policies, practices, and activities intended to increase vocational enrollments and completion exist in New Hampshire's high schools. Data were collected from interviews with six vocational staff members at each of five sites, a survey given to administrators at 28 sites, and responses to…

This report describes the effects of a 2-year affective-social education program offered by the elementary guidance services of the Stuttgart School District in Arkansas. Four groups of children (a total of 105 boys and 116 girls) were identified for this evaluation: Group I, involved in the program for two full years; Group II, participating one…

Teachers of adults, if they are to be really effective, must be sensitive to the particular characteristics and needs of adult learners. Adults have many physiological, psychological, and social characteristics that are the result of normal aging. In determining which characteristics interfere with learning, it is found that all have an impact on…

Describing and evaluating the development of the Brandon University Northern Teacher Education Project (BUNTEP) in Manitoba, Canada, this document presents the following sections: (1) Historical Overview; (2) Project Implementation Strategy (emphasis upon coordination with past projects); (3) The Students (the average BUNTEP student is probably…

Defining Native studies programs in Canada and the U.S., this essay presents: (1) Rationale for Native Studies (recognition on the part of the majority of cultural differences; the emergence of an affirmative Native identity; and declining enrollments in colleges); (2) Structural Organization Alternatives (as part of an existing department; as an…

Changes in marriage and the family from 1950-74 in five nonsocialist countries were explored. The countries selected for the study were Japan, the Netherlands, West Germany, Sweden, and the United States. Most of the data were derived from the United Nations'"Demographic Yearbook," although various original sources from the particular…

Foreign language teachers have long recognized that the teaching of culture is an integral part of their teaching objectives. Cultural content can change rapidly within the target society, and the difficulties encountered in gathering and up-dating relevant materials are compounded by the elusiveness of the term "culture." Cultural understanding…