In this paper, the author has attempted to provide an overview of some of the issues and challenges confronting rural educators and parents in the Canadian province of Newfoundland and Labrador. He has chosen to focus on three of the most pressing at this point in time: (1) declining enrollment and its consequences; (2) the continuing pressure on…

In the growing trend toward urban school reform vital educational stakeholders often function at cross-purposes in determining the mode and trajectory of change. This tug-of- war is even more poignant in cities with racially charged public school histories, and where reform movements serve to bolster hopes for the rescue of ailing economies.…

In this article, the author explains why Grants.gov, a web site for US Federal Government grants, should be abolished. Her recent attempt to submit a grant proposal to the National Institutes of Health is a case in point. She recounts how frustrating her experience was to the grant-submission process of Grants.gov. She points out that Grants.gov…

High school students participating in 16 California multiple pathways programs generally graduated at higher rates, met university requirements in greater numbers, performed better on high school exit exams and were more engaged in school and learning. This report summarizes a 2007-2008 study of the ConnectEd Network of Schools, capturing positive…

Small schools have always been valued for keeping close community links, for providing a family ethos and for minimizing pupil travel time--especially for the youngest children. At the same time, critics have raised concerns about the limited opportunities for large peer group socialization and about the limited range of teacher expertise and…

Offers the accounting teacher in a small school environment some suggestions for effectively overcoming problems characteristic of small schools and suggestions for creative ways of presenting instructional materials. (SH)

Describes a recently developed new dimension in management and educational concepts. (Author)

Surveyed 384 teachers in small schools in Oregon concerning their perceptions of the adequacy of preparation in specific areas of preservice training, i.e., practical methods, reading, curriculum, broad number of subjects, specific grades, several grades, discipline, rural problems, resources, counseling, community relations, classroom…

Discusses the benefits of smaller schools, asserting that students get the personal attention and sense of belonging that discourages them from falling through the cracks and stirring up trouble. (EV)

The citizens of Norfolk, Virginia, challenged educators to preserve a large, comprehensive high school while implementing a small-school concept. Staff responded by establishing four academies within the larger school that conveyed the feeling of smallness. Administration is decentralized, and special classes and computer labs are held outside the…

Examines the development of a sports master plan that can help an organization call attention to the need to upgrade sports facilities. Also suggests practical solutions to gain school administrative support. (GR)

In this article the author describes a whole-school values education programme at Greenfield Lower School, a small village school near the town of Flitwick, England. The programme, based on the work of Neil Hawkes, senior advisor with Oxfordshire LEA, is designed "to help the school community think about and reflect upon positive universal…

This article presents a dialogue with Monte Joffee. Joffee has been an active leader in the small school and charter school movements in New York City for over 20 years. He is a cofounder of The Renaissance Charter School in New York City and served as its founding principal (1993-2007). In this dialogue, Joffee articulates the ways in which…

This study examines why 51 schools declined an invitation to participate in a state-funded educator incentive initiative, the Texas Educator Excellence Grant (TEEG) program. Using data from an ongoing evaluation of the TEEG program conducted by the National Center on Performance Incentives (NCPI) under contract with Texas Education Agency, this…

The Academy for Educational Development (AED) conducted a case study of six public high schools in New York City as part of a multifaceted evaluation of a small schools initiative funded by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. Through surveys, interviews, and focus groups, the authors gathered information and opinions from the schools'…