Relying on standardized tests to measure performance and determine accountability obscures the fact that only reciprocal rights and responsibilities can create authentic accountability. A student has the right to expect a teacher will begin on time with a well-prepared lesson, the necessary materials, and the skill to conduct a class. A teacher,…

The future of Greece's well-being will depend on improving educational performance to boost productivity and improve social outcomes. In the current economic context, with the need to get best value for spending, Greece must and can address inefficiencies in its education system. The challenges are significant. For example, Greece lags behind many…

This dissertation synopsis examines the relationship of school size to the achievement of students of varying levels of socioeconomic status in West Virginia and investigates motives for consolidation in this mostly rural state. To control for varying grade-span configurations, size (of school and district) was defined as enrollment per grade…

At the turn of the century, over 200,000 one-room schools existed in the United States. These simple, vernacular buildings represented the nation's commitment to education and were also the center of community life. The country school continues to be a powerful cultural symbol. This book consists of three parts. The first section describes country…

This report represents data collected by a mail survey comparing budgets, levies, and enrollments of small, rural schools (Class "C") in Montana for fiscal year 1991-1992. The average enrollment of 82 elementary schools was 128 students; the average enrollment of 82 high schools was 58. The average total enrollment of Class "C"…

This study illustrates with specific designs how the city might meet two critical educational objectives in its first program of new school construction in many years. The study designs show how New York might build schools small enough to meet criteria for effective learning environments and how these small schools might be closely integrated…

This paper provides a history of early public schools in two Iowa townships. Townships are six by six mile areas of land that were established as the result of the Northwest Ordinance of 1787. The civil townships of Bennington and Cedar Falls were part of 17 townships located in Black Hawk County, Iowa. The Northwest Ordinance specified that the…

As in urban schools, at-risk students in rural schools may be unmotivated, lack purpose for learning, have special learning problems, or come from dysfunctional families. In this paper, an experienced teacher in a small rural Oklahoma high school describes her efforts to demonstrate that at-risk students would improve in all language areas as a…

This paper provides tips and resources for the recruitment, selection, and induction of teachers and other school personnel. These materials were developed with rural and small schools in mind; some resources focus on Kansas. Means of recruitment are discussed, including internal search, referrals, college and university placement services,…

This paper suggests that the fundamental characteristics of a sustainable community are economic security, ecological integrity, quality of life, and empowerment and responsibility. It also asserts that nurturing these characteristics within a rural school can forge stronger links to community, strengthen the local economic base, encourage…

This report summarizes two joint sessions held by the Indian Nations At Risk Task Force and the National Advisory Council on Indian Education to hear testimony on issues in Native American education at the elementary school level. Issues and problems fell into the areas of: (1) the special needs of high-risk elementary students, the need for…

This book highlights programs and ideas that take advantage of small classrooms and of other resources in the local environment. The programs demonstrate the inventiveness and imagination of teachers in small schools. The following chapters are contained in the book: (1) "Draw From All the Resources in Your School," which includes…

This study explores the reasons for high turnover within rural superintendencies from the perspective of local boards of education. Forty-one school districts with 600 or fewer students in a southwestern state were identified as experiencing high superintendent turnover (having employed three or more superintendents within the past 5 years).…

Five case studies of instructional two-way interactive video in rural small schools provide a model for successful implementation in other communities. Site visits and extensive interviews were conducted in schools and communities served by the Oklahoma Panhandle Shar-Ed Video Network, the New Mexico Eastern Plains Interactive TV Cooperative, the…

Of South Carolina's 91 school districts, 24 are 100% rural. Comprised of small schools, these districts serve a large, sparsely settled geographic area, have a large minority student population, and are staffed by non-minority administrators and teachers. The small number of students and teachers severely limits a school's ability to provide for…