Because of fewer human resources, teachers in rural schools have to assume a larger responsibility for their own curriculum development than do teachers in city schools. There is a need for a curriculum specialist to get into a situation quickly, to assess the problem, and to solve the problem quickly in order to move to another problem. In rural…

In 1973 a survey of teachers (361) and administrators (41) in 44 very small West-Texas secondary schools revealed highly positive opinions about the small secondary school and its educative and social functions. The same survey sent to the same schools in 1983 revealed similar positive opinions. Surveys covered three items: (1) teaching and…

With two alternate approaches to make sure the needs of all students are met, a consolidated school in rural Maine demonstrates what can be done with school-based job placement. The basic premise is that effective placement depends on a personal, trusting relationship between counselor and student. (Author/AJ)

Examination of demographic, socioeconomic, and cultural factors in Kentucky, Tennessee, Virginia, and West Virginia, the four states served by the Appalachia Educational Laboratory (AEL), shows low student population density, endemic poverty, low educational attainment, and a population reluctant to seek outside help. This report reviews the…

This information packet contains journal articles, book chapters, conference papers, and ERIC clearinghouse publications on small schools management strategies for superintendents and principals. Topics cover (1) elements of formal team management; (2) role of the administrator in creating the environment necessary for effective schools; (3)…

This resource guide provides information for 13 laboratory experiments designed to be conducted in small schools with limited equipment and materials. For each experiment, the document outlines necessary equipment and materials, experiment procedures, and questions to be answered. The experiments are: (1) studying the properties of water; (2)…

Oral history plays a vital role in accurate preservation of the rural school experience and the actual restoration of some of the country's 212,000 one-room school buildings. Oral histories provide valuable, first-hand information on who taught in and who attended one-room schools, what the curriculum included, what the building looked like, and…

The 4-day school week offers solutions to the financial and instructional problems often faced by small rural schools. Two southern Oregon schools implemented the 4-day school week on a trial basis in 1982-83 and, along with five eastern Oregon districts, continue to use this schedule today. The primary purpose of the change to a 4-day week was…

Many rural school districts struggling with declining elementary school enrollments will soon face the more complex problems of declining high school enrollment. School districts with only one high school do not have the option of consolidation and must find innovative solutions to the problem of maintaining educational quality with dwindling…

This digest considers the problems of foreign language instruction in small high schools and discusses possible solutions. A critical challenge for American education, pointed out by reform reports of the 1980's, is improvement of instruction in foreign languages to instill language proficiency. These national concerns have been translated into…

Intended to serve as a handbook for the principal of the small school, this volume presents a collection of 38 articles about small schools that have appeared in the National Association of Secondary School Principals Bulletin during the past 7 years. An introduction explores the basic concept of size as it relates to schools. Five chapters group…

This study about rural school and student characteristics uses recent investigations to focus on the needs of rural schools and students. The first two sections of the report describe rural populations and communities, paying particular attention to changes since 1970 and to regional differences in growth rate, economic base, and racial/ethnic…

This presentation offers a design for developing a long term staff improvement program using the talents available in a small or rural school district with low financial resources, limited personnel time, and difficulty in obtaining outside training. The plan focuses on improving teaching skills through a participatory structure involving peer…

A questionnaire sent to organizations and programs in rural education was designed to identify institutions displaying early school artifacts. Responses were received from 19 of the 30 states surveyed. The study found 11 university or college museums that have a one-room school as part of their collection. In addition, state parks and county…

During the 1979-80 academic year, a study was conducted to determine the beliefs and attitudes held by individuals in four groups (students, parents, teachers, and administrators) directly associated with the student activity program in a small Mississippi high school using ethnographic techniques. Ethnographic techniques involve the direct…