A quarter of nonmetro counties lost population in the 1990s, but population loss was not related to poverty rate or low educational levels, perhaps because low-skill workers can no longer expect better wages in urban areas. Population loss was related to low population density and remoteness (which decrease access to services), lack of natural…

A seminar on menopausal health was presented to a live audience and remote audiences at 10 sites in rural Queensland (Australia) via videoconferencing. Questionnaires completed by 128 audience members indicated positive reception of the content and delivery method. Similar replies from live and remote audience members indicated that the…

Electronic technology can be used to overcome many of the barriers to delivering services to rural schools and it can expand the world of rural gifted students. On-line college and high school sites offering courses are listed. Also listed is a site for tutoring and one offering help for teachers. (Contains references.) (Author/CR)

The movement to standardization and high-stakes testing has been driven by ideological and political concerns and has adversely affected teaching/learning, democratic discourse, and educational equity. Rural schools are hit harder because of geographic isolation and insufficient staff and resources. Testing used for purposes other than measuring…

Approaches to early intervention services for rural families with young children with disabilities are considered, including service delivery models and strategies for interagency collaboration. Proposals concern increasing access to services in rural areas, personnel training and utilization, and developing an infrastructure through regional and…

Distance education can improve rural education by alleviating geographic isolation of small rural schools and increasing educational opportunities for both students and teachers. In Australia, distance education technologies include telecourses for staff development and an electronic mail and bulletin board system linking schools. (LP)

Lack of funds and competition for scarce resources have made it impossible for many African universities to gain access to technology. Internet use is extremely limited, and the infrastructure is inadequate to support rapid expansion. Information technology, when available, is seen as a way for African academics to overcome isolation by once again…

In rural Alleghany County (North Carolina), one of the state's seven "cyber campuses" provides an expanded curriculum and advanced placement college courses to high school students and an array of community college and 4-year college courses to residents, who otherwise would be deterred from further education by their isolated location.…

A nationwide study of 205 K-12 unit schools found above-average test scores, postsecondary attendance, and high school completion rates. Both satellite and Internet systems were used in two-fifths of these schools. Single-school districts spent more per pupil on unit schools, employed more cooperative strategies, and were more fiscally…

Describes a collaborative project designed to better prepare Australian preservice teachers for teaching in remote schools through six-week rural mentorship programs and joint preservice and inservice professional development. Discusses how development of partnerships among cooperating institutions and between teachers, student teachers, and the…

A final-year student teacher from the University of Southern Queensland (Australia) describes her student teaching experiences in a one-room school in the isolated town of Birdsville, focusing on the harsh natural environment, the demands of a multiage classroom, and positive attributes of the small school and community involvement. (SV)

A final-year student teacher from the University of Southern Queensland (Australia) describes her student teaching experiences at Gunpowder State School, an isolated one-room school in central Queensland, focusing on techniques for managing the multiage classroom and teacher-community relationships. (SV)

A study investigated attitudes and participation of 40 Mexican American and Anglo-American parents in a rural Utah elementary school. Influenced by differing culture, religion, educational attainment, socioeconomic status, and background, the two groups had different attitudes toward and participation in the public school system and thus different…

A survey and in-depth interviews in an isolated British coastal town examined adolescents' computer and Internet use at home and in school. Adults had ambitious, future-oriented notions about how such technologies would expand children's educational opportunities and social and spatial horizons; in contrast, adolescents actually used technology in…

A proposed university in the circumpolar North would have undergraduate and graduate programs, be interdisciplinary, collaborate with other Northern countries and universities, and offer a circumpolar course to develop understanding of the Arctic. After many false starts, most components are already in place; all that is needed is determination,…