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Full-Text Articles in Education
Creating Highly Qualified Teachers, Dawn L. Mollenkopf
Creating Highly Qualified Teachers, Dawn L. Mollenkopf
The Rural Educator
The “highly qualified teacher” requirement of No Child Left Behind has put pressure on rural school districts to recruit and retain highly qualified regular and special education teachers. If necessary, they may utilize uncertified, rural teachers with provisional certification; however, these teachers may find completing the necessary certification difficult due to time, distance, and geographic barriers. The University of Nebraska at Kearney has been able to address this need by: (1) creating access to the university’s certification program, (2) providing professional supports, (3) tailoring assignments, projects, and field based practicum experiences and (4) building capacity for rural teachers who have …
Rural Research Brief: Using An Ecojustice Perspective To Inform Science Teacher Recruitment And Retention In The Rural Black Belt Region Of Georgia, Georgia Hodges, Deborah J. Tippins
Rural Research Brief: Using An Ecojustice Perspective To Inform Science Teacher Recruitment And Retention In The Rural Black Belt Region Of Georgia, Georgia Hodges, Deborah J. Tippins
The Rural Educator
This article highlights the significance of using ecojustice theory in scholarly discussions regarding issues of science teaching and learning in rural communities of the Southeastern United States. We offer an explanation of how ecojusticetheory provides a new way to look at often studied issues surrounding education in rural communities. This article specifically addresses the issue of science teacher recruitment and retention and draws attention to some of the emergingtensions faced by educators in the Black Belt region of Georgia.
Supporting Online Learning For Advanced Placement Students In Small Rural Schools: Conceptual Foundations And Intervention Components Of The Facilitator Preparation Program, Matthew J. Irvin, Wallace H. Hannum, Thomas W. Farmer, Claire De La Varre, Julie Keane
Supporting Online Learning For Advanced Placement Students In Small Rural Schools: Conceptual Foundations And Intervention Components Of The Facilitator Preparation Program, Matthew J. Irvin, Wallace H. Hannum, Thomas W. Farmer, Claire De La Varre, Julie Keane
The Rural Educator
This paper examines the need for interventions to support students who are taking advanced placement courses in small rural districts and describes the Facilitator Preparation Program (FPP) as a strategy to address this need. Issues in the delivery of Online Distance Education (ODE) in small rural schools are summarized and the conceptual foundations and service delivery considerations of the FPP are outlined. Future research needs are also considered.
Rural School Leadership For Collaborative Community Development, Hobarat L. Harmon, Kai Schafft
Rural School Leadership For Collaborative Community Development, Hobarat L. Harmon, Kai Schafft
The Rural Educator
In this article we address the role of rural schools in community development. We first discuss the largely historical linkages between rural schools and the communities they serve, and what this means for both school and community well-being. We then consider the newly revised standards for preparing school administrators, developed by the Interstate School Leaders Licensure Consortium, and how these standards may align with community-building efforts. In sum, we argue that enlightened educational leadership that seriously takes into account the 21st Century needs of students – as well as the communities in which they reside – cannot help but interpret …
Preparing Teachers For Rural Appointments, Zoe A. Barley
Preparing Teachers For Rural Appointments, Zoe A. Barley
The Rural Educator
Rural schools face difficulties recruiting or retaining qualified teachers. Prospective teachers need help better understanding the nature of rural teaching. Despite many pluses, collegial isolation, low salaries, multiple grade or subject teaching assignments, and lack of familiarity with rural schools and communities are challenges to new teachers in rural schools. This study examined nine mid-continent institutions for five components identified as preparing and retaining teachers to teach in rural schools. From the 120 teacher preparation institutions in the mid-continent, 17 confirmed the existence of a rural program emphasis. Nine of the 17 had three or more rural programs. Three of …
The Educational Aspirations/Attainment Gap Among Rural Alaska Native Students, Aaron Doyle
The Educational Aspirations/Attainment Gap Among Rural Alaska Native Students, Aaron Doyle
The Rural Educator
Indigenous students in rural Alaska hold high educational aspirations and yet few students realize their educational goals (Hamilton & Seyfrit, 1993; Kleinfeld & McDiarmid, 1986; McDiarmid & Kleinfeld, 1981). Our purpose in this study was tounderstand why so many Alaska Native students from small, isolated communities “drift” after high school, neither entering the postsecondary programs they aspire to, nor engaging in paid work. The contribution of this study is to clarify the reasons for the “educational aspirations-achievement gap,” in other words, why so many Alaska Native rural students have high educational expectations, and yet remain directionless in adult life. This …
The Perceptions Of Math And Math Education In Midville, Illinois, David M. Lucas, Jamie Fugitt
The Perceptions Of Math And Math Education In Midville, Illinois, David M. Lucas, Jamie Fugitt
The Rural Educator
By means of a qualitative research method known as folknography, a concerted effort was made to discern perceptions of math and math education in the rural Midwest. A community that will be referred to as Midville, located in the state of Illinois, was chosen as the target population for this study. The community and surrounding region stands over one hundred miles from the nearest metro complex. The study was conducted in May of 2006. After completion of the initial field work, data were collected, analyzed, and summarized, producing this document.
Unique Rural District Politics, Tod Allen Farmer
Unique Rural District Politics, Tod Allen Farmer
The Rural Educator
The politics of rural educational leadership are both intense and concentrated. Rural educational leaders need to be savvy and politically skilled if they are to inspire educational stakeholders and accomplish organizational objectives. The local school system is an organization with a political culture that can be characterized as a competitive environment in which various groups from both within and without are competing for power and limited resources. Local school systems are entrusted with both children and tax dollars, two precious resources. Coupled with such entrustment is political input from all points within the political continuum. Schools and politics are inseparable.
A Comparison Of The Parent-Child Interactions Between Russian Immigrant And Non-Immigrant Families In A Rural Setting In Missouri, Jimalee L. James, Barbara N. Martin
A Comparison Of The Parent-Child Interactions Between Russian Immigrant And Non-Immigrant Families In A Rural Setting In Missouri, Jimalee L. James, Barbara N. Martin
The Rural Educator
The purpose of this study was to compare the parent/child interactions between Russian immigrant and non-immigrant families in a rural Missouri school setting. A questionnaire was administered to 30 American families and 30 Russian immigrant families. Data concerning developmental level upon kindergarten entry were gathered from kindergarten screening protocols. Findings revealed that there were significance differences between the two sets of parents for the twelve literacy activities. Also significant differences were found regarding developmental levels between children who received Head Start as compared to those who attended preschool. Implications for early childhood literacy programs and the development of preschool language …