As Internet technology encroached on the public school classroom about a decade ago, Kim Ross, superintendent of the Houston School District in Houston, Minnesota, saw an opportunity. At first, he and his administrative team simply wanted to offer students in the district of 1,300 access to more classes via the web than what a district that size…

Research continues to support the many teaching and learning benefits of one-to-one laptop learning. Benefits range from improved student engagement and teacher-student interactions to the attainment of 21st century skills and the transformation of teacher practice. Additional benefits include improved student writing skills, increased teacher…

Outlines characteristics of effective technology-based distance-learning programs that meet specific local needs, incorporate current educational theory and practice, and satisfy the social and emotional needs of the students. Presents guidelines for program development in rural schools. (SV)

The purpose of this handbook is to guide rural school districts intending to establish a preschool program. The program described was established in the Trimble Local School District in the rural Appalachian area of northern Athens County, the third poorest district in Ohio. Contents concern: (1) the district's beliefs about children; (2)…

This manual provides screening guidelines for rural preschool and kindergarten programs and describes the development of a model Early Screening Program (ESP) that involves nine child stations and two parent stations. Screening stations developed for assessment included: (1) gross motor; (2) visual motor; (3) visual perception; (4) auditory…

The Madison Local School District offers guidelines for developing and implementing an independently financed, after-school enrichment program for latchkey children in rural areas. The district, located 40 miles from Cleveland, Ohio, borders on Lake Erie. Sections of the guide concern: (1) program development; (2) establishment of the environment;…

Materials contained in the 16 volumes that make up the Rural America Series suggest practices through which rural schools can meet local community needs and realize their potential for career program delivery. This handbook, one of five in the subset of program development process documents for the series, is intended as an initial planning tool…

Since 7 volumes make up the Southeastern Education Laboratory's SEL Pathway Series, SEL suggests that Volume 1, "Comprehensive Planning Guide," be used before any other volume in this series which is designed to assist local school planners in assessing their needs and systematically planning strategies to meet these needs. The present document,…

A project was undertaken by a consortium to produce a publication that would provide (1) a mechanism and guidelines for establishing cooperative relationships between secondary and postsecondary schools and business, industry, and labor in the rural community; (2) a large number of examples of cooperative agreements; and (3) appendixes which will…

Rural administrators play a key role in encouraging change within schools and in integrating a career education program into the existing curriculum. The guide covers innovation and its relationship to education's goal and objective; factors affecting educational change within the school, community, and administration; and the community's role in…

These guidelines, developed by a nine-member task force, were designed to help district administrators, curriculum planners, building principals/head teachers, vocational education directors, and teachers in small rural secondary schools in Alaska to plan, implement, and administer vocational education programs that are free of sex bias. The…

Intended to serve primarily as a guideline, this manual presents an example of how one rural school system restructured its curriculum to integrate career education into the program. Based on flexibility and adaptation, it presents six areas for consideration: (1) the eight elements of career education; (2) the advantages and disadvantages of…