Rural America has been experiencing dramatic changes and is becoming an increasingly diverse society. To explore the process by which rural schools define and work towards change, case studies were conducted on two rural schools that have established unusually strong links with their communities. Information was collected by personal interviews…

This report reviews economic and social issues facing rural schools and communities in the 1990's, focusing on the mutual dependence and collaboration between communities and schools. Rural America, dependent on resource-based industries, has faced distressed economy and declining populations. With a historical overview of rural America under the…

This edition of "Noteworthy" stresses the interdependence of rural schools and their communities, and offers ideas for developing both. Americans are becoming more open to school-community cooperation and to expanding the school's mission to include community development. Such cooperation involves communication among community leaders,…