A study examined gender equity in rural high school classroom practices. Classroom observations, surveys, and interviews with 171 students and 11 teachers from 5 rural Midwest high schools indicated that teachers and students were unaware of their own biased behaviors. Teacher-student interactions were overwhelmingly male-dominated. (Contains 37…

An education methods teacher evaluated her own teaching while supervising two former students during their student teaching semester. She found that her students used some of her methods, but there were some things that only the cooperating teachers could teach. Cooperating teachers need more staff development and should work more closely with…

In addition to her "never give up on any student" philosophy, Lois Rodgers has created an integrated, thematic curricular design that uses the brain's methods of transferring knowledge to long-term retention. She collaborates with community members, teachers, and students to improve teaching and learning. Her school is recognized throughout…

Rural middle school teachers were recruited and trained to implement Life Skills Training, an empirically-supported school-based prevention intervention to reduce student substance abuse and other problem behaviors. The teacher training model and classroom implementation focused on an interactive process designed to engage students in the…

Discipline referrals for special needs students and other students in a rural K-8 school were examined before and after the school shifted to inclusive-school policies and practices. In the year after the shift, discipline referrals declined sharply for special needs students and slightly for other students, reflecting positive social outcomes of…

A three-pronged program to prevent underage drinking delivered alcohol education and anti-drinking messages to high school students and their parents and distributed pertinent information to local alcohol retailers in a rural community. Compared to a control community, students in the intervention community were less likely to develop risky…

Two rural elementary schools in southern Illinois were chosen from a larger study on the basis of low rates of student violence and bullying behaviors. Features of the schools' supportive and safe environments are compared to those described in theories of engaged pedagogy. A whole-school approach created an atmosphere of caring and shared…

In 1996, South Dakota created the position of "chief executive officer" (CEO)--the lead administrator of a local school district without formal training in education. A survey completed by 126 certified superintendents and 29 self-reported CEOs compared the two groups' attitudes concerning their own professional development and the most important…

A school foundation is a nonprofit, tax-exempt organization that finances school projects not covered by the district budget. Legal requirements and accounting procedures; the board of trustees and fund manager; use of volunteers; capitalization and sources of capital (gifts, bequests, fundraising activities); marketing the foundation; examples of…

A Montana teacher in a very small high school describes how SIMMS Integrated Mathematics has helped students to develop better problem-solving skills and better oral and written communication skills, has contributed to increased student enrollment in a fourth year of high school mathematics, and has taught students to use technology tools in…

Research investigating perceptions of guns, gangs, drugs, and violence in rural schools surveyed 266 principals and counselors in rural elementary, middle, and high schools in northern Missouri. Smaller schools and elementary schools had fewer problems than larger and middle/high schools. Community collaboration is essential to solving…

Various strategies used by state policymakers to influence small school districts are discussed. Incentives can be used to help small districts survive or encourage them to reorganize or consolidate. Disincentives, or "the stick," can withhold funding from small districts or establish impossible goals, resulting in consolidation while avoiding the…

Some mentees or proteges are not successful because they are not emotionally or professionally ready for full-time teaching, they are philosophically incompatible with the school district, they do not engage with other staff, what they learned at the university is incompatible with district practices, they do not listen to their mentors, or they…

Consistent with their name and mission, rural community colleges should be committed to building community. This can be accomplished through comprehensive curricula; extracurricular events; community education programs; continuing education; partnering with businesses and schools to encourage local youth to prepare for college; service learning;…

Valdosta State University (Georgia) uses audio/video conferencing in its teacher education program, a low-cost alternative to travel that enables student teachers to access the expertise of their supervisors more frequently; supervisors to observe student teachers; simultaneous interactions between supervisor, student teacher, and mentor, or among…