High levels of parent involvement in their children's education result in higher student achievement; higher attendance levels; a decline in dropout rates; fewer disciplinary problems; and better student motivation, self-esteem, and behavior. Since unacknowledged parents withdraw from the school, schools should acknowledge parent participation. To…

This keynote speech discusses the rise of telecommunicated distance education in the United States. Interactive satellite broadcasts for K-12 instruction are now received by more than 1,000 schools in more than 40 states. Similarly, many states are working with two-way interactive television projects, slow-scan television systems, and…

Progress has been made in serving rural students with low-incidence handicaps after the implementation of Public Law 94-142, yet research indicates that this category of students is still the most difficult population to serve. Hence, designing least restrictive environment (LRE) services is crucial in further improving this type of program.…

In the past decade, disappointing national outcomes have been reported regarding the transition of youth with disabilities to community and work environments. The transition outlook is even more dismal for rural youth with disabilities, in light of geographic barriers to special education service delivery, lack of jobs in rural areas, and rural…

This paper addresses problems in providing educational services to gifted students in rural areas and discusses feasible solutions. Rural schools face numerous obstacles such as small numbers of identified gifted students; limited resources and funding; locations distant from universities, libraries, and cultural activities; difficulty in…

This information packet contains 48 reprinted articles dealing with resources allocation in rural and small schools. A number of articles have a direct rural focus, while others cover the more general issues and principles surrounding resource allocation. The packet is divided into the following sections: (1) an overview of budget development…

School psychologists who work in rural areas face difficult problems because of the setting in which they practice. Traditional models for delivering psychological services in urban and suburban schools are not typically generalizable to rural service delivery. Rural school districts tend to be closed and rigid, reflecting the nature of the…

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…