To have an impact on rural schools and communities, education researchers and reformers must stop approaching rural issues from an urban perspective, adopt a perspective that values rurality, and address issues specific to the rural context. Rural schools have contributed to the depletion of rural communities by focusing on individual mobility and…

This document contains the 12 issues of the newsletter "Rural Policy Matters" published in 2000. Issues examine recent educational research on small and rural schools; report on state standards and court litigation related to rural schools, the efforts of communities to save their local schools, and the condition of rural facilities;…

An Australian study explored the implications of being a rural academic; distinguishing features of rural academics' work; perceptions of rural academics held by themselves and others; and contributions rural academics make to their institutions, disciplines, and communities. Interviews were conducted with 24 faculty members from 2 Australian…

This document provides the Side-by-Side Comparison, a tool to assist early care and development programs receiving funds from both Head Start and the California Department of Education to prepare for state and federal program monitoring reviews and to conduct self-evaluations. The instrument is designed to be used for the California coordinated…

The Tasmanian (Australia) Office of Youth Affairs and Family conducted consultations concerning issues impacting young people living in rural and isolated areas. Eight workshops specifically for youth were attended by 123 young people. Five community forums were attended by 25-30 participants each. The difficulties of living in isolated situations…

These guidelines address issues related to the role of school boards, including local school/community committees and advisory boards, in overseeing the provision of a culturally responsive and supportive educational environment for the students in their care. The guidelines are organized around various leadership roles related to the management…

This guide chronicles the ongoing work and writings of the Chapin Hall Center for Children at the University of Chicago, a policy research center dedicated to bringing sound information, rigorous analyses, innovative ideas, and an independent, multidisciplinary perspective to bear on policies and programs affecting children. This guide, organized…

These Comprehensive School Reform Demonstration (CSRD) state action plans were initially developed in 1998 for the central regional states, which include Colorado, Kansas, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, South Dakota, and Wyoming. They detail the states' specific technical assistance needs, as well as the services to be provided by Mid-Continent…

This paper grows out of a project under the auspices of the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching which seeks to strengthen the means for American higher education to prepare morally thoughtful, committed, and socially responsible citizens. This study examines the experiences of three institutions that recognize the importance of…

This report seeks to help institutions manage change by examining college faculty use of time for and contributions to the community in Japan. The report combines the results of two surveys conducted in the national universities, one across a number of universities which compared faculties of engineering with other faculties and one which included…

For over 30 years, Foxfire has been developing an approach to learning that is learner-centered and community-focused. Foxfire's initial success resulted from a successful student-produced magazine in a rural Georgia high school. Attempts to duplicate this success often overlooked the key ingredients, student choice and academic integrity, that…

This report examines some of the costs of higher education and the benefits Illinois citizens receive in return. The study examines both public and private higher education and measures the impact on a state-wide basis. Data come from the Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System and data collected by the Illinois State Board of Higher…

Designed for parents of students, this booklet provides information and strategies for helping students with disabilities make a smooth transition to postsecondary education and training. The first part of the booklet addresses: building blocks for transition, transition services mandated by the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act,…

This document shares lessons learned related to states' strategies to improve accountability. Case studies describe promising practices or particular strategies within an accountability system that have operationalized six standards identified by the National Association of State Boards of Education. The introduction discusses accountability and…

This document profiles ten higher education institutions across the United States, documenting their roles as "engaged institutions," that is, institutions whose goal it is to produce graduates ready to move along a path of self-directed learning and growth. They are "interactive institutions" that have developed partnerships with civic, business,…