South Carolina adopted grade-level content standards in 1997 and required curriculum assessment in 1999. A model for implementation of these requirements is presented that includes rationale, definitions, a planning activity chart, and 10 elements of planning and implementation. A case study illustrates how one rural school district with limited…

Recommendations for supporting new teachers include providing basic organizational information for the new teacher; facilitating effective communication among administrators and teachers, the new teacher, and other faculty and staff; and providing time for the new teacher and other adults working in the classroom to get acquainted, to clarify…

To be committed to family involvement, teachers need to see results and receive support. Administrators can focus on results by exposing teachers to positive outcomes of family involvement through literature and successful teachers' experiences. Administrators can provide support through planning, allocating personnel and resources to help,…

Explains how courts have interpreted sexual harassment to constitute sexual discrimination under Title IX, how the "deliberate indifference" standard may be applied to sexual harassment cases, how courts disagree on school liability for student-to-student harassment, and that school personnel are now being sued for damages. Provides suggestions to…

Presents a series of questions to help rural school administrators assess their readiness to include distance learning as part of the instructional program. The questions address program need or purpose, school resources (human, facilities, and equipment), and selection of distance learning technology system. Lists brief explanations of common…

Describes survey of student use of microcomputers in 319 small and 350 large public high schools throughout the United States. Finds 99% of schools owned microcomputers chiefly for instructional purposes. Discusses problems of large student/computer ratios, high costs of microcomputers and software, and teacher reluctance to use new technology.…

Explores backgrounds and characteristics of principals who graduated from rural-oriented principals certification program of Westminster College in Pennsylvania. Compares results with other studies and finds only two striking differences between rural and urban principals: rural principals had little social studies teaching experience and limited…

Describes setting, rationale, organization, schools and communities, activities, and evaluation of a model small school cluster begun in 1981 in South Dakota. Discusses issues in implementing cluster strategies: goals, commitments, size, location, outside support, organizational structure, leadership, meeting schedules, faculty involvement,…

A model of service delivery to rural handicapped children trains classroom teachers onsite to be "Cooperative Extension Service Agents" within their schools. University faculty bring graduate coursework to the school site and "Agent" teachers provide special education inservice assistance to fellow teachers, facilitating local services to mildly…

Describes discipline program initiated by the principal of a "tough" midwestern rural junior-senior high school. Includes ethnographic methodology; community characteristics; principal's background, self-concept, and leadership qualities; aspects of the program; and faculty, parent, and student perceptions of the principal and his program's…

A small rural high school initiated an 8-period day to offer students the increased number of credits required for graduation. Elective offerings, elective enrollments, and participation in extracurricular activities increased. Teachers and students liked shorter classes, grades improved, dropout rates declined, and teacher-pupil ratios dropped in…

Develops a proposed model for the establishment of rural teacher centers which calls for and defines teacher educator involvement, establishes interdependence between rural school districts, and depends on local teachers for direction. (Author)

Provides board members, administrators, and teachers with basic legal principles governing teacher contracts. (AH)

A survey completed by 319 principals of high schools with enrollments under 500 was used to determine the core curriculum and the specific curriculum needs of today's small high schools. Principals indicated a need for additional courses in computer-related areas, remedial reading, speech, first-aid, geography, creative writing, and consumer…

Discusses factors related to the success of a mathematics program selected for excellence by criteria that included student performance on standardized math tests and the intensity of involvement in extracurricular activities. Outlines characteristics of the school's rural farm community, administrative and teacher leadership, and the role of…