This report, in response to a request by 10 U.S. Senators examines the status of broadband deployment in the United States. The rate of deployment of broadband services will be key to future economic growth, particularly in rural areas far from urban and world markets. This report finds that rural areas, especially remote areas outside of towns,…

This paper reports on the second phase of multiple-year research in the Phuthaditjhaba schools of QwaQwa, South Africa, which is studying implementation issues related to educational transformation. Investigated was the extent to which educational reforms in these schools address language rights as human rights, reduce backlogs, and promote…

Explains the development and delivery of a Bachelor of Nursing Science degree as a distance education program at James Cook University (Australia). Topics include physical isolation; distance and access; resources; financial costs to students; course development; scheduling clinical placements and residential schools; student expectations;…

Using the case of a vernacular variety spoken on the Outer Banks of North Carolina, this article demonstrates how linguistic-systemic principles such as remorphologization, psycholinguistic principles of perceptual saliency, and sociolinguistic processes of symbolic identity converge to account for the development of leveling in this community.…

In the rural regions of Nova Scotia, the Network for Children & Youth of Eastern Nova Scotia is attacking the problem of service fragmentation. The network addresses the multiple factors of health that contribute to the well-being of populations by coordinating the efforts of the 37 member agencies. Accomplishments and practical rules for…

The study of language in its social context and the role of language in society has developed over the past four decades into the field called sociolinguistics. In approaching language as a social activity, sociolinguists focus on discovering the specific patterns or social rules for talk; for example, they might examine how people manage their…

I present a case study of the influence of rurality and a sense of place on leaders' beliefs about purposes of local schooling and their concomitant theories of action in one rural school district. Interview data show that despite their portrayal of life in the valley as a privilege, most leaders viewed their place as presenting more problems than…

This paper examines the unmet service needs and problems of persons with disabilities in rural and remote regions of New South Wales (Australia). Data were collected through consultations with disabled persons, families, and service providers in Sydney and four rural areas; a literature review; compilation of an in-depth inventory of service…

Communication and information technologies can reduce the barriers of distance and space that disadvantage rural areas. This report defines a set of distinct voice, computer, and video telecommunication services; describes several rural information applications that make use of these services; and surveys various wireline and wireless systems and…

A study examined technology gaps in rural schools and computer accessibility and Internet use by teachers. Findings from surveys of 205 teachers in the rural Ozarks region of Missouri indicate significant differences in Internet accessibility among rural schools with a low, middle, or high technology status; and no significant interaction effects…

Since 1994, the American Indian Rehabilitation Research and Training Center has been sharing successful research strategies related to disabilities and rehabilitation with indigenous people in Oaxaca, Mexico. Its first two projects identified the needs of indigenous people with disabilities in three geographic regions of Oaxaca and worked with a…

This study represents an endeavor to point out facts and tendencies in higher education in Ireland and Wales by which American universities and colleges may profit. It complements similar studies in England and Scotland (see ED540852), and presupposes familiarity with the principal features and terminology of these studies. The compiler of this…

During 1977-87, almost half of all deaths in rural interior Alaska resulted from accidents, suicide, or homicide. These causes of death were significantly higher among Natives compared to non-Natives or to other Alaska Native populations, among males compared to females, and among adolescents and young adults compared to other age groups. Includes…

An Australian "School of the Air" teacher describes his experiences teaching isolated rural students in grades 3 and 4 via radio and teleconferencing. He discusses lesson materials, exceptional student work, "classroom" techniques for delivering Air lessons, home visits, parent involvement, and his own learning experience. (SV)

In Australia, government-funded equity programs have positively impacted the equality of rural schooling, but persistent issues remain. A literature review examines positive and negative features of rural schooling related to teachers, school size, academic achievement, completion rates, curriculum, lifestyle, and social justice. (Contains 66…