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Full-Text Articles in Education
Reflections Of Native American Teacher Education On Bear Ridge, Steven Locke
Reflections Of Native American Teacher Education On Bear Ridge, Steven Locke
The Rural Educator
This study examines an elementary teacher education certification program delivered by a state university to Native American teacher aides on the reservation. Data were collected over two semesters using a Freirean critical theory framework to analyze the data and to explicate the problematic nature of Native American education. Analysis of the data indicated that the program reproduced Euro-American cultural values, was insensitive to Native American history or values, and did little to support individual teachers. Suggestions include the need for the program to acknowledge and address the historical cultural genocide that occurred in the education of Native Americans and the …
Recruiting And Interviewing Teachers In Rural School Districts: Protocol Or Potluck, Joe Nichols
Recruiting And Interviewing Teachers In Rural School Districts: Protocol Or Potluck, Joe Nichols
The Rural Educator
Through administrator and teacher surveys and interviews, this study examined recruiting and interviewing practices of eighty-three rural school districts located in, and between, the rural Ozark Plateau and Mississippi River Delta. Survey results indicated that districts with smaller student populations were far less likely to have an identified protocol in place to recruit and interview teachers. In addition, the study found that critical issues such as student achievement and qualifications of teachers were not addressed during the recruiting or interviewing phases of the employment process. Finally, this research brought to light questionable interviewing practices leading the author to make recommendations …
Rural Research Brief: Rural Schools Under Scrutiny, Teresa S. Jordan, K. Forbis Jordan
Rural Research Brief: Rural Schools Under Scrutiny, Teresa S. Jordan, K. Forbis Jordan
The Rural Educator
Historically, rural schools have been geographically and politically isolated to the extent that some might say that they have been the victims of, or beneficiaries from, an unstated government policy of benign neglect. Recently, conditions and relationships have changed with the enactment of state and federal accountability legislation and legal challenges to the constitutionality of state funding systems for schools. Federal concerns about the quality of teachers and the progress of students are accompanied by state standards, proficiency tests for high school graduation, and school report cards. Most of these requirements are unfunded or under-funded mandates. However, rural schools likely …
The Appalachian Model Teaching Consortium: Preparing Teachers For Rural Appalachia, Alvin C. Proffit, R. Paul Sale, Ann E. Alexander, Ruth S. Andrews
The Appalachian Model Teaching Consortium: Preparing Teachers For Rural Appalachia, Alvin C. Proffit, R. Paul Sale, Ann E. Alexander, Ruth S. Andrews
The Rural Educator
The Appalachian Model Teacher Consortium is a partnership involving Radford University, Wytheville Community College, and the Grayson County (Virginia) School System. Its purpose is to prepare highly qualified teachers for rural southwest Virginia. The model was developed in response to the growing teacher shortage facing school districts in rural southwest Virginia. Poorer, more rural districts often have weaker tax bases that provide limited, and at times inadequate, financial support for their school districts. This lack of local resources often results in lower salaries and benefits when compared to many districts that compete for the shrinking pool of potential teachers. Additionally, …
Edward W. Chance Dissertation Award: Upon Entering College: First Semester Experiences Of First-Generation, Rural Students From Agricultural Families, Patrick F. Schultz
Edward W. Chance Dissertation Award: Upon Entering College: First Semester Experiences Of First-Generation, Rural Students From Agricultural Families, Patrick F. Schultz
The Rural Educator
First-generation and rural college students are considered by many retention theorists and practitioners to be an at-risk population. This study examined the details of the first semester in postsecondary education from the perspective of a group of students who met the demographic criteria of being first-generation to go to college, from rural geographical areas, and from agricultural backgrounds. It focused on the first semester experience, during its occurrence, and how six students of this specific population viewed that phenomenon. A secondary objective was to determine if the understandings that issued from the research could form a foundation from which first …
A Rural Alternative School And Its Effectiveness For Preventing Dropouts, Christina Johnston, Gregory Cooch, Connie Pollard
A Rural Alternative School And Its Effectiveness For Preventing Dropouts, Christina Johnston, Gregory Cooch, Connie Pollard
The Rural Educator
This article describes a successful alternative school located in northwest Wyoming. Students who attend this school need an atmosphere that is accepting of their differences and allow them to express themselves without fear of ridicule or punishment. These children are looking for a safe, secure place to complete their education, a place where their unique differences are respected. Bear Lodge is one such alternative high school. Students at Bear Lodge share their perspective and provide a living testimony as to the importance of alternative schools in allowing students to meet with academic success and social acceptance. Bear Lodge allows its …
Gay, Rural, And Coming Out: A Case Study Of One School’S Experience, Nicholas J. Pace
Gay, Rural, And Coming Out: A Case Study Of One School’S Experience, Nicholas J. Pace
The Rural Educator
This case study details the events surrounding a gay student’s “coming out” in a small, rural high school. Through the eyes and experiences of the student, his teachers, classmates, and community, we hear the story of how the school and community dealt with an issue they had never before actively considered. Through qualitative interviews, the former high school principal describes reactions and lessons learned as the student made his sexual orientation known, attended prom, and was awarded one of three Matthew Shepard Scholarships given in the state. The unexpected way in which events unfolded in the school and community were …
Voices In The Hallway: Three Rural Iowa Schools, Vicki Robinson, Thomas Blaine, Nicholas J. Pace
Voices In The Hallway: Three Rural Iowa Schools, Vicki Robinson, Thomas Blaine, Nicholas J. Pace
The Rural Educator
Students, faculty, administration, and community members of three Iowa rural school districts were interviewed to identify educational issues in their communities The results of the Iowa investigation are compared with the results of the Claremont Graduate School investigation published in Voices from the inside: A report on schooling from inside the classroom (1992). The Claremont study investigated large urban schools. The Iowa study provides insight into small, rural school districts. Although similar issues emerged from the two studies, other issues demonstrated the different realities of education in rural Iowa and education in a large culturally diverse urban setting.
Attitudes Of Rural Middle-School Youth Toward Alcohol, Tobacco, Drugs, And Violence, Kathleen J. Kelly, Maria Leonora G. Comello, Ruth W. Edwards
Attitudes Of Rural Middle-School Youth Toward Alcohol, Tobacco, Drugs, And Violence, Kathleen J. Kelly, Maria Leonora G. Comello, Ruth W. Edwards
The Rural Educator
Since 1996, our research team has conducted 15 focus groups with 169 middle-school youth in small communities as formative research for campaigns against alcohol, tobacco, drugs, and violence. Some key findings of a synthesis of focus-group results are that girls and boys perceive different risks to alcohol and tobacco use; peer relationships are important, but there is great potential for parents to increase influence; females and Hispanic youth are most concerned about serving as good role models; and youth prefer campaign materials that feature typical youth and activities.
How Size And Setting Impact Education In Rural Schools, Emily C. Bouck
How Size And Setting Impact Education In Rural Schools, Emily C. Bouck
The Rural Educator
School variables, such as school size and school location, matter. School size and location impact many areas of education, including the characteristics of the school, curriculum, and post-school outcomes. Research reveals that students in rural schools face many personal and education hardships – from living in poverty to having less opportunity and sophistication in technology. Rural schools also have fewer course offerings. While rural schools are a unique, urban and rural schools may be more similar than expected, particularly as compared to more affluent suburban districts. Rural and urban schools have larger rates of poverty and more dire financial situations, …
Overcoming Obstacles To Preparing For College: Perspectives From A Rural Upward Bound Program, Andre Grimard, John Maddaus
Overcoming Obstacles To Preparing For College: Perspectives From A Rural Upward Bound Program, Andre Grimard, John Maddaus
The Rural Educator
This research study examines the major obstacles low-income rural youth face in preparing to attend college and how to overcome these obstacles through the participation in an Upward Bound program. The data for this study are from a single-site of the regular (“Classic”) Upward Bound program at a public university in a rural New England state and include surveys and interviews with students, guidance counselors, and parents and/or guardians of Upward Bound students. The results of this study indicated that there are two primary barriers that low-income rural students face in preparing for college: financial and social. Students and parents …