The purpose of this report is to provide data on the educational program at Goldsmith Elementary School with a focus on several specific programs. The community from which the approximately 210 Goldsmith pupils came consisted mainly of lower-class, single-family dwellings, which were rented by the residents. The racial composition was…

Realizing that small schools in the U.S. will continue in large numbers, this publication was written for American educators seeking to advance the science of small school administration, although it is also hoped that it will assist foreign educators seeking to improve their national system of schools. The small school was not considered as…

The document discussed the functions of intermediate educational units their relation to rural schools, and the unique needs of rural schools. Chapter I traced the development of the American school system from its inception in colonial America to contemporary times. Characteristics of America's rural population were identified and briefly…

The author outlines an introductory undergraduate course in Indian Studies constructed on the configuration of a social science cluster built around a central disciplinary core of political science. The objective of the course is to build an understanding of contemporary India. As a matter of convenience and organization the course is divided into…

Describes a teacher-training program designed to give nonrural students the knowledge, background, skills, and attitudes necessary for successful rural teaching and living. Outlines the two-year course of study which emphasizes early field experience and includes topics such as rural demography, personal satisfaction predictors, and alternative…

A survey completed by 319 principals of high schools with enrollments under 500 was used to determine the core curriculum and the specific curriculum needs of today's small high schools. Principals indicated a need for additional courses in computer-related areas, remedial reading, speech, first-aid, geography, creative writing, and consumer…

Explains seven steps in implementing a computer system for the students, administration, and community of Illinois's Tiskilwa School District: assessing the computer needs, identifying barriers and incentives, identifying and selecting software, selecting appropriate hardware, specifying bid requirements, selecting a vendor and evaluating…

The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation funds a 5-year program supporting the start-up of new small high schools of no more than 400 students and the conversion of larger high schools into smaller, more personalized schools or learning communities. This report focuses on the program's first year and compares new small schools, large high schools…

An exploratory study of a small rural high school in upstate New York investigated students' perceptions of safety at school and empowered students to develop solutions to school violence. A mixed-methods approach drew on action research, youth-based phenomenology, and a general systems frame of reference. Data collection included two surveys of…

This report takes a global look at the structural changes taking place in the 72 small schools that were created from 17 comprehensive high schools in Washington State. It also discusses the challenges conversion schools face when they operate with a foot in two worlds -- trying to realize the benefits of small while, in many ways, still operating…

Approximately 43 percent of schools in Norway are nongraded schools. A study of teacher thinking and planning in social studies was carried out in six small, nongraded schools in rural Norway. An obligatory social studies theme in the national curriculum is "the human being in society." At each school, one teacher of students aged 11-13…

This progress report reviews comprehensive research on the impact of the nation's charter schools on education and the education system. Chapter 1 looks at the "ripple effect" charter schools have on public schools. Charter schools' efforts to improve public education create new choices for parents. The competition causes public schools…

This paper describes a Web-based mentor network designed to pair students in rural independent schools with undergraduates at selected liberal arts colleges. It is one of nine central program elements that constitute the Proteus(TM) system, a multimedia technologies architecture that supports distributed collaborations and work undertaken in the…

In response to an enrollment increase of 666,961 students over the past 10 years, Texas public schools have increased in both number and size. The number of Texas high schools with over 2,000 students increased by 35 percent from 1987-88 to 1997-98, and these very large schools now make up 14 percent of all regular instructional high schools.…

The four issues of the journal SKOLE published in 1998 contain articles, personal narratives, and interviews about educational philosophy, small alternative schools, freedom and democratic practices in education, and the overuse of Ritalin in schools. Feature articles discuss holistic education, how classroom technology promotes passivity and…