Principals from small and rural elementary, middle, and high schools in Texas participated in a 3-year study of the role of the school counselor and the extent of collaborative efforts between counselors and principals. Principals reported a strong dependence on the assistance their counselors provided, often crediting them with assuming the…

Many of the shortcomings of the high school system have been attributed to the fact that the popularization of secondary education has necessitated the establishment of a large number of very small high schools. No one has known with any degree of certainty however, just how small these schools are, how many of them exist, how extensive a program…

A projected program for small secondary schools of 250 students or fewer involves a shift in the teachin model, and synchronization of four current organizational devices. (MF)

Discusses reasons why standardized tests and their use are important topics of discussion. Testing is: widely used in schools and supported by the public; criticized by both educational and noneducational groups; only minimally a part of teachers'/administrators' training; constantly being changed and developed. (LC)

A regional approach to improving small rural schools through staff development was taken in Washington State. Consultants from the Child Service Demonstration Center at Washington State University trained teachers to use Madeline Hunter's instructional methodology, called Instructional Theory into Practice. (PP)

Recent literature on rural education offers many research possibilities because it contains conflicting and contradictory statements on social class, student attitude, innovative teaching, teacher turnover, and school-community relations, many of which are the result of empirical research. (CM)

Texas small schools have promising programs, innovative practices, and pressing problems. They utilize mainstreaming and provide special materials for the gifted and talented. Problems are primarily in the areas of hiring and retaining teachers, financing programs, and energy costs. (CM)

The major purpose of the Teacher Center is to improve the quality of pre-service experiences of education majors, especially of student teachers. Problems associated with supervision, staff development, and placement of student teachers can be greatly reduced through the sort of Teacher Center activities described. (Author/CM)

Discusses several models for administrator development suitable to small rural school districts, particularly one cooperative external degree plan. (SJL)

There are several alternatives to closing a small elementary school. The choice among them will be influenced by the beliefs of policy makers and by a number of situational factors. Analysis of these factors is likely to lead to a more defensible and a less arbitrary choice. (Author/SJL)

Describes Wisconsin's cooperative education service agency program organized to help groups of small rural schools get special industrial education expertise that would be too costly for a single school to support. Presents K-12 curriculum descriptions for a cluster of five school districts with sequenced course content. (MF)

There is no strong empirical base to support the assumptions and assertions of school and district consolidation advocates. This article reviews and analyzes this body of evidence and discusses why consolidation has been so popular even in the absence of solid and reliable supporting evidence. (Author/MLF)

To realize NASSP's reform goals in "Breaking Ranks," educators must first personalize high schools. This means every student should have a personal adult advocate and a personal progress plan; teachers must teach to students' learning styles; and no school should be larger than 600 students. A 1996 national student survey underlines the…

There are numerous examples of small, self-governing schools of choice that successfully serve high-risk students in both public and private sectors. Good schools are filled with particulars that explain their surprising successes. Strong democratic schooling needs new forms of horizontal accountability focused on a school's collective work. A New…

The impetus for more school closures lies in declining school enrollments in many rural areas and promises of cost efficiency, more academic options for students, and higher test scores. The latter benefits remain a matter of debate. Busing is controversial result of school consolidation, both in terms of expense and time. Rural school advocates…