Senator Collins of Maine plans to fight for proper federal funding of the Rural Education Achievement Program (REAP) that allows rural schools to combine federal funding sources. Collins, and Senator Dianne Feinstein, will soon introduce legislation that will eliminate inequities in the current Social Security law that penalize teachers and other…

Research reports from multiple studies in dozens of states have shown there are advantages to learning in small schools. To take advantage of the assets of rural schools and small-town survival, new state policy directions will be necessary in finance, facilities, teacher pay, preparation, and professional and curriculum development. (Contains 10…

Challenges facing rural schools include consolidation, teacher quality, equitable funding, and adequate facilities. The president of the National Rural Education Association presents his views on these issues based on visits around the country. (Author)

Describes characteristics of the "ideal" rural teacher and highlights the significant issues associated with recruiting and retaining such teachers in rural schools. Claims that new ideas and approaches will be necessary if small rural schools, often located in very isolated and poor areas, are to attract qualified teachers. (Contains 34…

Rural Education Achievement Program (REAP) grants give rural districts a new source of federal funds. REAP has two separate programs that address the specific needs of rural districts. The first is the Small and Rural Schools Achievement Program; the second is the Rural and Low Income Schools Program. Explains the differences in the programs and…

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…

Cites the daunting need for school construction and repair funds. Explains how the federal Qualified Zone Academy Bonds and the America's Better Classrooms Act allow certain schools to finance the renovating and/or equipping of school facilities on an interest-free basis through the allocation of federal tax credits. Tables list the state…

This article discusses some of the advantages of computer-based testing and highlights efforts by several states and organizations to introduce electronic assessment. It also describes the challenges policymakers face in planning and implementing such an initiative and details the steps they can take to pursue this type of testing. As electronic…

Provides a short history of educational governance in America during the 20th century. Includes description of the erosion of local control through court decisions, federal legislation, collective bargaining, state accountability, and parental choice. Describes alternative approaches to school governance. (PKP)

Discuss the "new" state politics of education focusing on the role of state governors and business groups in shaping educational policy driven by the standards-based reform movement. (PKP)

Evaluates the effectiveness of city and state takeovers of school districts to bring about school reform. Finds, for example, that city takeovers are linked to increases in student achievement in elementary schools and that when state takeovers produce administrative and political turmoil, student achievement suffers. (Contains 15 references.)…

Describes the expanded responsibility of state governments and local school districts to improve student academic achievement in elementary and secondary schools under the provisions of the No Child Left Behind Act, which expands the federal role in education. (PKP)

Argues for a more effective relationship between state boards of education and state legislatures. Includes brief history of board-legislature relations in Pennsylvania and suggests ways to improve that relationship in light of standards-based school-reform efforts. (PKP)

Discusses the difference between charter schools and charter districts (all schools in the district are chartered), why charter school districts are spreading, and how local school districts can become charter districts. Current laws in Arizona, California, Florida, Georgia, New Mexico, Oregon, and Texas allow charter districts. (PKP)

The theme of this issue of the quarterly journal of the National Association of State Boards of Education (NASBE) is the system of early childhood education in the United States, focusing on various challenges to making high-quality preschool education a reality for all children. The following articles are featured: (1) "Principles and…