Rural Education | K

Kadel, Robert (2005).  Desperately Seeking ERIC. Leaders Sharing--Research Windows  Learning and Leading with Technology, 32, 7. 

You may or may not be aware that ERIC, the Educational Resources Information Center, had a complete makeover during the last year or so. The old ERIC stood for "Educational Research and Information Clearinghouse," and it was run by a private company that leased its database of information and selected full-text articles to subscribers around the world--usually colleges and universities. But like so many other things educational, NCLB put into motion a plan for ERIC to become part of the U.S. Department of Education (ED), specifically the newly created Institute of Education Sciences (formerly OERI, the Office of Educational Research and Improvement), the research arm of ED. This article provides quick user tips on how to search the ERIC database most effectively. | [FULL TEXT]

Kagan, Sharon Lynn; Britto, Pia Rebello; Engle, Patrice (2005).  Early Learning Standards: What Can America Learn? What Can America Teach?  Phi Delta Kappan, 87, 3. 

The authors share their experiences in working with representatives of six developing nations in a project to draft early learning standards.

Kahn, Patricia Hymson (2001).  The Social Reform Movement Impacted Handiwork at Hindman Settlement School, of Hindman, Kentucky during 1902 to 1939. 

The purpose of this qualitative, historical study was to investigate the impact of the Arts and Crafts Movement, the Settlement Movement, and the Progressive Education Movement on the handiwork at Hindman Settlement School (formerly W.C.T.U. Settlement School, 1902-1910) located in the eastern Kentucky Appalachian Mountain region. Three themes emerged from the data: the social dimension in handiwork, social production of the handiwork, and innovative educational practices. The Hindman Settlement School, still in operation today, was respected for its academics, handiwork, and response to the region's educational needs. It was influenced by innovative education reforms of Jane Addams and John Dewey. | [FULL TEXT]

Kallenbach, Silja, Ed.; Viens, Julie, Ed. (2001).  Multiple Intelligences in Practice: Teacher Research Reports from the Adult Multiple Intelligences Study. NCSALL Occasional Paper. 

This document contains nine papers from a systematic, classroom-based study of multiple intelligences (MI) theory in different adult learning contexts during which adult educators from rural and urban areas throughout the United States conducted independent inquiries into the question of how MI theory can support instruction and assessment in adult basic education (ABE), adult secondary education, and English for speakers of other languages (ESOL). The following papers are included: "Will Awareness of Their Own Intelligence Profiles Help My Students Become More Independent Learners?" (Betsy Cornwell); "How Can Teacher and Student, Working Collaboratively, a. Identify the Student's Strongest Intelligences through MI-Based Assessment and Classroom Activities? [and] b. Use the Understanding of These Intelligences To Guide the Learning Process?" (Meg Costanzo); "1. What Impact Do ESOL Activities Informed by the MI Theory Have on Student Engagement and Learning Strategies? [and] 2. How Do Prior Cultural Learning and Experiences Shape Students' Reaction to and Participation in ESOL Activities Informed by the MI Theory?" (Terri D. Coustan); "What Kind of MI-Informed Instruction and Assessment Can Be Developed That Will Help Adult Learners Deal with Math Anxiety, So They May Reach Their Stated Goals?" (Bonnie Fortini); "Can MI-Informed Lessons Help the Progress and Attendance of LD (Learning Disabilities) and ADD (Attention Deficit Disorder) Students Preparing for a GED?" (Martha Jean); "How Will Adult Diploma Students' Awareness of Their Own Intelligences and Their Participation in Activities Informed by MI Theory Affect Their Career Decision-Making Process?" (Jean A. Mantzaris); "What Effect Does Metacognitive Awareness of Their Own Multiple Intelligences Have on the Perceptions of Effective ESOL Teaching and Learning by Students With Limited Native Language Literacy? What Happens When I Try To Integrate MI into an ESOL Class?" (Diane Paxton); "Will the Use of a Multiple Intelligences Framework Support the Goals and Practices of Popular Education in an ABE Classroom?" (Wendy Quinones); and "How Does Knowledge of Multiple Intelligence Theory Broaden a Multi-Sensory Approach to the Teaching of Writing? How Does the Application of Multiple Intelligence Theory Enhance a Multi-Sensory Approach to the Teaching of Reading?" (Lezlie Rocka). Concluding the document is a 72-item reference list. | [FULL TEXT]

Kallio, Brenda R. (2003).  School Administrators and Ethical Decision-Making in Rural Communities.  Rural Educator, 25, 1. 

With the advent of globalization and the growing concept that schools are marketplaces of ideas, educational administrators need guidance in ethical decision making. Moral dilemma is defined, ethical models are presented, and a process is described in which facts, resolution options, and values are reflected upon and decisions made based on examination of the data and the moral choices available.

Kapoor, Dip (2007).  Gendered-Caste Discrimination, Human Rights Education, and the Enforcement of the Prevention of Atrocities Act in India  Alberta Journal of Educational Research, 53, 3. 

Despite the constitutional ban on the practice of untouchability and caste-based discrimination, this article elaborates on a gendered-caste-based discriminatory reality in rural India, the difficulties of enforcing legal remedies, and on related human rights praxis to address gendered-caste atrocities by drawing on the experiences of a Canadian voluntary development nongovernmental organization (NGO) that has been working with Dalits (downtrodden/scheduled caste groups) in India for over a decade. This experience suggests that although there is a significant role for human rights education in addressing gendered-caste atrocities, there are cultural and political limits to a rights-based approach that privilege the individual and a politics of vocal, open democratic resistance.

Kargin, Tevhide (2004).  Effectiveness of a Family-Focused Early Intervention Program in the Education of Children with Hearing Impairments Living in Rural Areas  International Journal of Disability Development and Education, 51, 4. 

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effectiveness of a family-focused early intervention program developed to meet the needs of children with hearing loss and their parents. The participants were 12 children with severe and profound hearing loss who lived in a rural area of Turkey. They did not have any additional disabilities. Their ages ranged between 0 to 4 years. These children and their families had not participated in any intervention program before this research was designed. The 12 participants and their families were assigned to either an experimental or a comparison group. The data was collected before and after the implementation of the program, using three instruments; a preliminary information form for parents, a Scale of Parental Needs and an observation form to evaluate verbal communication. After the implementation of the intervention program, statistically significant differences were found between the experimental and comparison groups regarding their verbal communication.

Karlberg, Anne Marie (2008).  Harnessing Assessment: Pulling Together, Administrators, Faculty, and Staff Can Improve Student Learning  Tribal College Journal of American Indian Higher Education, 19, 4. 

Assessment is a powerful tool that can support tribal colleges in serving their communities and accomplishing their missions by improving student learning through applied research. Assessment is not about evaluating individual student performance, but evaluates the overall achievement of a group of students in order to provide feedback to students, faculty, parents, the tribal college, policy makers, and the public about the current effectiveness and future refinement of educational programs. Although many tribal colleges struggle with assessment programs and efforts, indigenous educators recognize assessment as an emerging priority--for internal improvement as well as for accountability (i.e., accreditation) purposes. Based on six years of experience coordinating assessment efforts at Northwest Indian College (NWIC), the author believes that assessment can be conducted in tribal colleges in a culturally appropriate and meaningful way. In this article, the author provides a check list to make assessment easier and more effective for tribal colleges.

Karr, Steven M. (2005).  Quarries of Culture: An Ethnohistorical and Environmental Account of Sacred Sites and Rock Formations in Southern California's Mission Indian Country  American Indian Culture and Research Journal, 29, 4. 

Sacred sites and Rock Formations throughout Southern California's India Country are described by Indians as ancestral markers, origin and place-name locales, areas of deity habitation, and power sources. Early ethnographers were keen to record the traditional stories and meanings related to them by their Native collaborators. Rock formations represent a particularly compelling example of cultural landscapes--creating an important link between human beings, their ancestral past, and geographic location, something Native peoples of Southern California, and elsewhere, value highly. However, these rock formations and sacred sites are sometimes forgotten by the Indians themselves or purposefully concealed from the intrusions of ethnographers, curious trekkers, or vandals. Rock formations were then, as they are now, a part of the natural landscape. This article describes the collective effort of native Americans, anthropologist and ethnohistorians, and even government agencies to save the heritage site from the quarries of culture.

Katras, Mary Jo; Zuiker, Virginia S.; Bauer, Jean W. (2004).  Private Safety Net: Childcare Resources from the Perspective of Rural Low-Income Families  Family Relations, 53, 2. 

Phenomenological analysis was used to understand how rural low-income families accessed and used child-care resources to meet the needs of their families using data from Wave 1 of the Rural Families Speak Project. In the aftermath of welfare reform, results highlight the continuing need for policy aimed at building stronger supports for families with inadequate access to child care.

Katsinas, Stephen G. (2007).  Rural Community Colleges Are the Land-Grant Institutions of This Century  Chronicle of Higher Education, 54, 9. 

Community colleges in all areas of the country offer students opportunities for postsecondary education that they might not otherwise have. The nearly 600 community colleges that serve rural communities play a special role in providing access, one that the author believes deserves greater understanding and recognition. He shares some of what he has learned about rural community colleges through his studies as a higher-education professor and field visits to more than 350 community colleges in 35 states: (1) Rural community colleges play a crucial role in the education of students in their regions; (2) A commitment to access is reflected in the students that rural community colleges serve; (3) Rural community colleges are also committed to building sustainable communities and regions; and (4) Rural community colleges build especially strong linkages with elementary and secondary education.

Kazakbaev, Rustam Khabilovich (2006).  Attitudes of the Young People of Bashkortostan toward Life in the Countryside  Russian Education & Society, 48, 9. 

The present article is designed to study the attitudes of young villagers toward living in the city or in the countryside as a condition that is essential for the reproduction of the social and professional structure of the countryside, a structure that has become deformed in the past few years and is not up to current requirements. The study is conducted in terms of two main criteria: (1) a life support system for the population on a level that serves to prevent their physical and moral degradation; and (2) measures to ensure the region's food security. Among other things, the author discusses the problems of young people living in the countryside and the necessary solutions to help solve these problems.

Keller, Bess (2005).  AIDS Infects Education Systems in Africa  Education Week, 24 n27 p1, 22-23 Mar 2005. 

The AIDS pandemic raging across sub-Saharan Africa does not stop with personal carnage. It also threatens whole systems, including what is arguably the most critical for the region's future--education. Where rates of HIV infection are high, as they are in much of southern and eastern Africa, experts warn, the effects on social stability and education are so great that young people are being robbed of hope, and national development is being stunted. In a final merciless twist, declines in education reduce the chances of arresting the pandemic, since schools may be the best way to reach uninfected young people with the information, skills, and attitudes that ultimately protect them. Education can literally be a lifesaver for children who must grow up quickly--especially girls, whether by enabling them to learn how to make a living or to protect themselves against the virus. The crisis of HIV/AIDS has way more to do with people in schools than physicians in hospitals.

Keller, Bess (2005).  States Given Extra Year on Teachers: "Highly Qualified" Delay Has Strings Attached  Education Week, 25 n10 p1, 18 Nov 2005. 

States and districts are going to get more breathing room to meet the federal mandate that teachers be "highly qualified," but extending the deadline, teacher-quality advocates say, could ultimately bring more pressure on school officials to make progress. That's because the one-year reprieve dangled in late October 2005 by federal education officials is contingent on evidence that a state has been reordering its priorities and building the systems needed to take responsibility for the quality of its teaching force under the No Child Left Behind Act. The deal also requires a state to map out how it intends to move forward and then subject that map to the scrutiny of federal officials. But critics of the mandate point, in part, to the practical hurdles local officials face in finding enough highly qualified teachers for some classrooms--in rural areas and for special education students at the secondary level, for instance. Others also challenge the provision's focus on subject-matter knowledge, rather than evidence of such knowledge in combination with teaching skill.

Keller, Bess; Sack, Joetta L. (2005).  Union, States Wage Frontal Attack on NCLB  Education Week, 24 n33 p1, 18 Apr 2005. 

Widespread sniping at the Bush administration's centerpiece education law escalated into a frontal attack as the nation's largest teachers' union. Several school districts sued federal officials over the measure, just a day after the Utah legislature approved a bill challenging the reach of the law. The National Education Association's suit follows the announcement of the Connecticut attorney general that his state plans litigation similar to the union's. Observers are divided on how formidable the legal and legislative assaults might prove. They are largely united on the political symbolism of so much happening at once. Resistance to the law is growing. Suing along with the 2.7 million-member labor behemoth and 10 of its affiliates are school districts in Pontiac, Michigan; Laredo, Texas; and south-central Vermont. They have asked the U.S. District Court in Detroit to free schools from having to comply with any parts of the No Child Left Behind law on their own tab. The suit charges that the sweeping federal education law--passed at the end of 2001 and signed by President Bush in January 2002--is being implemented illegally because billions of dollars worth of federal underfunding has forced states to use their own money to carry out its mandates.

Kellogg, Robert C. (2004).  Cooperative Planning for Rural Job Creation  School Administrator, 61, 9. 

Rural school districts across the country have seen a serious loss of employment opportunities for families in their communities. Even when jobs exist, they are often low-level service jobs that do not provide wages that encourage young people to grow roots. When good jobs are available, often those jobs are outsourced to other low-wage areas, including foreign countries. In northeastern Wisconsin, schools are working together on a program with other public and private groups to turn around these losing demographics. The job losses have hit hard in the area served by the author's intermediate educational agency. Local woodworking factories have closed. Once-solid manufacturing operations have closed their doors forever. Rather than chasing those few out-of-town businesses looking for a new home, the author's agency joined with several local entities, large and small, to build a community partnership that now has led to an award-winning cooperative home-building program. They are an area partnership of schools, government and local businesses with education playing a central role. The group of public and private representatives mapped out several tasks. It was decided to build a strong community council focusing on job development. Limited capital was pooled to better support the plan. Because schools are a resource for community education and the place where potential employees can be trained, they had a strong place at the table. Cooperative job development requires building a systematic planning and monitoring of processes. Keeping their high-achieving students at home or providing reasons for them to return after college or military commitments becomes central to building a viable community. Without a plan for accomplishing this, rural schools lose their most important resource for their survival--the children of returning students.

Kelly, Kathleen J.; Comello, Maria Leonora G.; Edwards, Ruth W. (2004).  Attitudes of Rural Middle-School Youth toward Alcohol, Tobacco, Drugs, and Violence  Rural Educator, 25, 3. 

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.  | [FULL TEXT]

Kendrick, Maureen E.; Hissani, Hizzaya (2007).  Letters, Imagined Communities, and Literate Identities: Perspectives from Rural Ugandan Women  Journal of Literacy Research, 39, 2. 

Historically, letter reading and writing have been pervasive across human societies, cultures, and communities (Barton & Hall, 2000). Like all literate activities, it derives its meaning and significance from how it is situated within cultural beliefs, values, and practices. Despite its prevalence, however, little is known about the meanings and uses of letter reading and writing in diverse cultural contexts. The purpose of this article is to examine the desire to independently read and write letters as a rationale for rural Ugandan women to join an adult literacy program. Drawing on sociocultural theories, and in particular, the frameworks of a literacy ecology of communities, communities of practice, and imagined communities, the authors use ethnographic techniques to explore the role of letter reading and writing in the lives of 15 women participating in an adult literacy program in 1 rural Ugandan community. The authors argue that letter reading and writing practices, personhood, and identity are intertwined within an imagined community to which these women hope to belong, and these imagined communities may play a critical role in their success in adult literacy programs.

Kepa, Mere; Atu, Linita Manu (2006).  Indigenous Maori and Tongan Perspectives on the Role of Tongan Language and Culture in the Community and in the University in Aotearoa--New Zealand  American Indian Quarterly, 30, 1-2. 

Po Ako, a community-based project, was created to break the experience of absence--cultural alienation and educational exclusion--overwhelming the Tongan students in Aotearoa New Zealand. In January 1991, not a single Tongan student attending Mt. Roskill Grammar School in Auckland passed the national examination for a School Certificate. In May 1992 Po Ako was organized by the parents in response to the enduring absence of their adolescents' accomplishment in the school Kepa. Po Ako drew upon Tongan language and culture in order to strengthen the students' understanding of academic ideas. In this article, the authors discuss the Maori and Tongan people perspectives on Po Ako's role in their communities' language and culture.

Kerfoot, Caroline (2001).  ABET and Development in the Northern Cape Province: Assessing Impacts of CACE Courses, 1996-1999. 

The impacts of the adult basic education and training (ABET) courses offered by the Centre for Adult and Continuing Education (CACE) in South Africa's Northern Cape Province were examined. Data were collected through questionnaires, open-ended and semi-structured interviews, observations, and document analysis. Of the 221 students enrolled in the certificate course in 1996-1999, 148 (67%) completed it, and of the 90 students enrolled in the advanced diploma course, 54 (60%) completed it. Most advanced course completers remained in the jobs they held while in the course, and only eight completers were currently working in ABET provision. The advanced course's greatest success lay in its impact on organizational development and designing learning events. No correlation was found between completing the certificate course and access to employment; however, all respondents credited the certificate courses with substantially increasing their self-confidence, ability to act independently, and understanding of cultural diversity. The certificate course had a positive impact on income, especially in rural areas. (Thirty tables/figures are included. The bibliography lists 62 references. The document's 13 appendixes include the following items: CACE evaluation questionnaire; interview guidelines; list of materials examined; sample outcomes; information about the survey respondents and course funding mechanisms; and lists of individuals interviewed and staff involved in Northern Cape programs.) | [FULL TEXT]

Ketter, Jean; Buter, Diana (2004).  Transcending Spaces: Exploring Identity in a Rural American Middle School  English Journal, 93, 6. 

Literary experiences were provided to students to help them connect with characters whose lives and experiences differed vastly from theirs and to see the way in which their own race, class and gender shaped their understanding of the world. However, the findings indicate that a focus on critically reading multicultural literature students helped them to bridge their experiential gaps.

Kexian, Ji; Hao, Tang (2006).  Seventy Issues of Concern to Teachers  Chinese Education & Society, 39, 1. 

On September 10, 2006, Teachers' Day was marked for the twentieth time in China. On this day, this journal's reporters congratulated teachers and at the same time conducted a number of investigations among teachers nationwide over the Internet, to find out what issues are of the biggest concern to them. The seventy-plus issues listed in this article were compiled by reporters from a host of issues raised by hundreds of teachers in more than ten provinces. All are issues on which the teachers' concerns are most focused.

Khalkechev, M. N. (2006).  Birthrates and Reproductive Attitudes of Young People in Karachai-Cherkessia  Russian Education & Society, 48, 9. 

This article deals with the birthrates and reproductive attitudes of young people in Karachai-Cherkessia. In this article, the author discusses a survey that was designed to account for different factors of reproductive behavior among the main ethnic groups in Karrachai-Cherkessia. Judging by the results of the survey, one of the most important factors that affect reproductive attitudes in the region is the level of material sufficiency in the family. Among other things, the author discusses other factors including, the factor of income and health.

Khan, Faryal (2007).  School Management Councils: A Lever for Mobilizing Social Capital in Rural Punjab, Pakistan?  Prospects: Quarterly Review of Comparative Education, 37, 1. 

While evidence from developed countries suggests that communities may contribute to school effectiveness and efficiency, there is a need for more systematic reviews of such practice in developing countries to inform international policy. Research suggests that community participation through school councils could produce opposite outcomes: it can either reinforce or challenge social practices outside of schools. This study is a descriptive analysis of school councils in rural Punjab in Pakistan, a developing country with one of the world's lowest literacy rates. In summarising the author's central findings, she expounds on who participates on school councils in terms of socio-economic status (SES) and gender, what decisions councils make, and the differences between councils in girls' and boys' schools, since schools are segregated by gender in Pakistan. In doing so, the author explores to what extent school councils serve as a lever for mobilising the social capital embedded in these rural communities.

Khan, Shahrukh Rafi; Kiefer, David (2007).  Educational Production Functions for Rural Pakistan: A Comparative Institutional Analysis  Education Economics, 15, 3. 

This study uses a production function approach to identify the impact of student, parent, teacher, and school policy variables on student performance as measured by test scores. Our statistical analysis is conducted in a comparative institutional context that includes government, private, and non-governmental organization schools. We find that, at least in the Pakistani context, non-governmental organization schools are more effective than government or private schools.

Ki, Bourema Jacques; Ouedraogo, Louis-Honore; Luisoni, Pierre (2006).  Negotiating with Development Partners: Ten-Year Plan for the Development of Basic Education in Burkina Faso  Prospects: Quarterly Review of Comparative Education, 36, 2. 

This article discusses the ten-year plan for the development of basic education in Burkina Faso. Burkina Faso has to meet a major challenge, which consists of reducing poverty among the population, reducing exposure to crises of all kinds, and reducing inequality between regions and between different socio-economic sectors. In order to achieve this, the poverty reduction strategy, as outlined in the Poverty Reduction Strategy Papers (PRSP), aims to strike a balance between the need for structural reforms and the stimulation of the economy, in order to increase the income of the poor and transfers to the most underprivileged. The Ten-Year Basic Education Development Plan (PDDEB), which is intended to deal with the educational aspects of the PRSP, is consistent with the latter insofar as the prime objectives of the PDDEB are to raise the general level of education of the population, especially in rural areas, to improve the institutional capacities of the sector, to reduce inequalities between men and women and between regions, and to encourage decentralization and deconcentration in the sector. This article discusses Burkina Faso's current educational policy, as well as the problems of the basic education system and measures required. This article talks about the joint mission that Burkina Faso received in 2000, which was to deal with the funding aspects of the PDDEB programme.

Kidwell, Roland E., Jr.; Kochanowski, Susan M. (2005).  The Morality of Employee Theft: Teaching about Ethics and Deviant Behavior in the Workplace  Journal of Management Education, 29, 1. 

Deviant behavior at work is an important topic for management education because of its prevalence and cost to both organizations and people. This article demonstrates how the ethical ramifications of workplace activities identified as deviant can be actively discussed by students and by educators in the classroom by using an original case study. The case study includes behaviors that appear to break company rules and norms. Workplace deviance is discussed in the context of the following questions: What is deviant workplace behavior? Is it always negative? How can it be influenced by organizational culture? Possible connections between the way deviance is handled in the classroom and its subsequent occurrences in the workplace are discussed.

Kieff, Judith (2005).  Let's Talk about Friendship: An Anti-Bias Unit on Building Classroom Community  Childhood Education, 82, 2. 

In many classrooms, children behave in rude and hateful ways. According to the American Association of University Women (AAUW), "Sexual harassment of girls by boys--from innuendo to actual assault--in the nation's schools is increasing" (AAUW, 2001). In this article, the author features the anti-bias curriculum approach to building friendships and relationships in the classroom. Through anti-bias curriculum, children learn to think more critically, empathize with each other, get along with others who have different points of view and cultural traditions, and take pride in their own heritage. The anti-bias friendship unit results in less bullying and sexual harassment between the genders. The author provides sample lesson ideas and books to go along with the unit.

Kifer, Edward (2001).  Why Research on Science and Mathematics Education in Rural Schools Is Important or the Mean Is the Wrong Message. 

Educational research, unfortunately, often focuses on finding statistical differences between overall means or averages. Media reports of research routinely present those differences and little else. This paper discusses the importance of considering the spread of the data in addition to the center and how this is relevant to research focused on rural schools. An example from one Kentucky county shows how, in the case of a large group of fourth-grade students with higher average test scores than a much smaller group, the difference between mean scores is misleading and draws attention away from the considerable overlap in the distributions of the two groups' scores. In addition, while the larger group had a higher mean score, it also had many more low-performing students than the smaller group. This county-wide data was broken down further to show the distributions of Group-1 and Group-2 scores in each of the county's six elementary schools. The patterns differed markedly among the schools, suggesting many questions for research. In another example, variance decomposition is used to portray mathematics achievement scores for Japanese and U.S. students in terms of whether the variation is between students, between classrooms, or between schools. Comparisons of achievement status versus achievement growth are also considered. The relevance of these statistical issues to rural education research are discussed in terms of research on small schools, small classes, and the relationships between rural student backgrounds and achievement. | [FULL TEXT]

Kiggundu, Edith; Castle, Jane (2007).  Are Rural Women Powerless When it Comes to HIV & AIDS Risk? Implications for Adult Education Programmes in South Africa  Perspectives in Education, 25, 1. 

There is an urgent need for fresh approaches to HIV & AIDS education for adults and youth in South Africa, particularly for those marginalised by society, such as rural black women. In this article we explore the factors which affect awareness, condom use and HIV & AIDS risk among a group of women who attend classes in a rural Adult Education Centre in Limpopo province. We seek a better understanding of the factors which affect women's decisions and behaviour. In particular, we examine the notion that women are 'powerless' to protect themselves. We draw on theories of gender and power relations to emphasise that women can and do exercise power, particularly at microlevel. Data were collected by means of focus group discussions with two groups of adult learners, and through interviews with teachers and government officials. The article concludes by suggesting strategies for use in rural Adult Education Centres to empower women to deal with HIV & AIDS.

Kilmer, Lloyd C. (2000).  Continuous Quality Improvement: A Roadmap for Rural School Improvement. 

A case study documented a continuous quality improvement approach to school improvement in a rural Nebraska high school over a 2-year period. Data gathered from surveys, portfolios, pilot results, and test scores indicated that the changes during the 2-year period were not dramatic, but significant and consistent with the Total Quality literature. This literature indicates that the commitment to quality must be in place for the long term to see improvement in the organization's ability to meet and exceed the customers' expectations. Specifically, a clearly defined vision and mission for the school was developed and implemented, and a comprehensive system of student learning outcomes with clearly defined assessments and an articulated technology plan was developed. There were significant improvements in student satisfaction with the purpose and direction of the instruction they received; books, materials, and technology provided in the classroom; and teacher fairness. Both general and special education students improved their performance after implementation of a student staff support program designed to assist students who were most at risk for poor behavior and academic achievement. A pilot advisor-advisee program contributed to a decline in failures and near-failures among the target group of eighth-grade students and received positive responses from surveyed parents. A refined detention system resulted in higher levels of compliance and greater satisfaction among faculty. Implications for school improvement are discussed. | [FULL TEXT]

Kilpatrick, Sue; Bound, Helen (2003).  Learning Online: Benefits and Barriers in Regional Australia. Volume 1 [and] Volume 2. 

The benefits and barriers of online delivery of education and online learning in regional Australia were examined. Data on recent and current enrollments in online courses/modules were gathered from eight providers across four states. Nine courses were selected for more detailed analysis. Interviews were conducted with teachers, students, and other stakeholders in the nine courses. Selected findings were as follows: (1) there is a lack of consistent, comparable enrollment data for making resource allocation decisions; (2) online offerings vary significantly from provider to provider; (3) online delivery attracts a wide cross-section of students in terms of gender, age, and employment status; (4) online delivery provides otherwise unaffordable opportunities leading to careers and employment that would have otherwise required students to travel or move away from home; (5) factors limiting access to and success in online learning include the cost of hardware and software, lack of adequate infrastructure in regional/rural areas, poor design and layout of World Wide Web platforms, subject content that is difficult to explain online, lack of interaction with peers, and lack of an institutional learning culture. Changes in Australia's existing quality assurance systems, the resourcing of online delivery, and professional development practices were recommended. (Eighteen tables and 89 references are in Volume 1. Volume 2 provides reports of the case studies on eight courses, including Hospitality (operations) Certificate II, and Assessment and Workplace Training Certificate IV.

Kilpatrick, Sue; Bound, Helen (2005).  Skilling a Seasonal Workforce: A Way Forward for Rural Regions  [National Centre for Vocational Education Research (NCVER)] 

Seasonal work is crucial for the many rural regions reliant on seasonal industries such as agriculture, forestry, aquaculture and tourism. This report examines the diverse nature of the seasonal workforce in two locations and the approaches used in their training. The report finds that the seasonal workforce is diverse and has varied training needs. Like others marginally attached to the workforce, much of their training is informal. Seasonal workers have difficulty accessing formal training and having their informal learning properly recognised. More formal training approaches are particularly relevant for those making a career of seasonal work. Barriers for employers to formal training include lack of suitable customised training programs, a lack of awareness of available training, cost, complex funding arrangements, and a low value placed on such training. Enhancers to formal training include employers who encourage and value training for their workforce, the use of brokers to assist employers to access training, and training providers with in-depth knowledge of regional industry and enterprises to meet the diverse needs of seasonal workers, and legislative requirements.  | [FULL TEXT]

Kilpatrick, Sue; Loechel, Barton (2004).  Interactional Infrastructure in Rural Communities: Matching Training Needs and Provision  Rural Society, 14, 1. 

This paper reports some of the main lessons learnt from a collaborative project titled "Generating jobs in regional Tasmania: a social capital approach" investigating how two small rural Tasmanian communities could better match local training needs with training provision. The project was conducted within the context of the wider social, economic and demographic changes affecting the two rural communities and their ongoing efforts to manage such change. The paper provides a profile of the two communities with particular attention to their local education, training and employment infrastructure. Three research questions in terms of improving the contributions of leadership, partnerships and social capital are addressed. Development and utilisation of social capital, particularly in the form of interactional infrastructure (defined as opportunities and structures for interaction in a community) that brought together the range of stakeholders, appeared the key to successfully matching needs with provision.

Kim-Godwin, Yeoun Soo; Bechtel, Gregory A. (2004).  Stress Among Migrant and Seasonal Farmworkers in Rural Southeast North Carolina  Journal of Rural Health, 20, 3. 

Although funding to enhance the delivery of health care among migrant farmworkers has primarily focused on urgent care issues within this population, the etiology of mental health risks and perceived stress is poorly understood. To identify the type and severity of stress perceived by migrant and seasonal farmworkers in rural southeast North Carolina. During the pre-agricultural season in 2002, 151 migrant and seasonal farmworkers completed the 39-item Migrant Farmworker Stress Inventory (MFWSI) in either English or Spanish. Fifty-one percent (n = 77) of the respondents perceived themselves at a high level of stress (mean score above 80 of "caseness") that may subsequently put them at greater risk for experiencing psychological difficulties. The stressors highly ranked (mean is greater than 2.5 in a maximum of 4, with "extremely stressful" in a 5-point Likert scale 0 to 4) were related to their mobile lifestyle, language barriers, insecure job and legal status, financial restraint, and long working hours. Also, drug and alcohol use in the migrant community was found to be one of the significant sources of stressors. Variables influencing high levels of stress include education, social support, religion, marital status, and age. Despite a relatively high level of perceived stress, the majority of respondents (71.5%) viewed their physical health as either "good" or "excellent." Findings from the study suggest the availability of social support systems may provide significant insight into developing appropriate health services for migrant and seasonal farmworkers and their families.

King, Carol Ann; Meadows, Beth Bender; Engelke, Martha Keehner; Swanson, Melvin (2006).  Prevalence of Elevated Body Mass Index and Blood Pressure in a Rural School-Aged Population: Implications for School Nurses  Journal of School Health, 76, 4. 

The growing prevalence of overweight in students and adolescents has become a matter of national concern and is linked to a rise in chronic health conditions in students who previously had low prevalence rates, such as cardiovascular disease. This study examined the relationships between age, ethnicity, race, body mass index (BMI), and elevated blood pressure (BP) in a rural school age population. Data are reported for 1121 students in grades K-11. The sample was 55% African American, 41% Caucasian, 3% Hispanic, and 1% other. The prevalence of students at risk of being overweight (BMI greater than or equal to 85th percentile) was 46.5%, and the prevalence of overweight students (BMI greater than or equal to 95th percentile) was 29.1%. The prevalence of elevated BP was 21.6%. Elevated BMI and BP were more prevalent in older students. While there was a direct relationship between elevated BMI and elevated BP for all groups, African Americans were more likely to have an elevated BP with a normal BMI. These findings demonstrate the important role of the school nurse in providing effective prevention strategies related to screening, follow-up, and treatment.

King, Joyce E., Ed. (2005).  Black Education: A Transformative Research and Action Agenda for the New Century  [Lawrence Erlbaum Associates] 

This volume presents the findings and recommendations of the American Educational Research Association's (AERA) Commission on Research in Black Education (CORIBE) and offers new directions for research and practice. By commissioning an independent group of scholars of diverse perspectives and voices to investigate major issues hindering the education of Black people in the U.S., other Diaspora contexts, and Africa, the AERA sought to place issues of Black education and research practice in the forefront of the agenda of the scholarly community. An unprecedented critical challenge to orthodox thinking, this book makes an epistemological break with mainstream scholarship. Contributors present research on proven solutions--best practices--that prepare Black students and others to achieve at high levels of academic excellence and to be agents of their own socioeconomic and cultural transformation. These analyses and empirical findings also link the crisis in Black education to embedded ideological biases in research and the system of thought that often justifies the abject state of Black education. Written for both a scholarly and a general audience, this book demonstrates a transformative role for research and a positive role for culture in learning, in the academy, and in community and cross-national contexts. Following a foreword and preface, this book is divided into eight parts. Part I, Theorizing Transformative Black Education Research and Practice, presents the initial chapters: (1) A Transformative Vision of Black Education for Human Freedom (J. E. King); and (2) A Declaration of Intellectual Independence for Human Freedom (J. E. King). Part II, Taking Culture into Account: Learning Theory and Black Education, continues with chapters: (3) The State of Knowledge about the Education of African Americans (C. D. Lee); and (4) Intervention Research Based on Current Views of Cognition and Learning (C. D. Lee). Part III, Expanding the Knowledge Base in Black Education and Research Globally, includes chapters: (5) Colonial Education in Africa: Retrospects and Prospects (W. H. Watkins); and (6) Black Populations Globally: The Costs of the Underutilization of Blacks in Education (K. Freeman). Part IV, Engaging the Language and Policy Nexus in African Education, goes on to present: (7) When the Language of Education Is Not the Language of Culture: The Epistemology of Systems of Knowledge and Pedagogy (H. O. Maiga); and (8) Initiating Transformations of Realities in African and African American Universities (B. Lindsay). Part V, Situating Equity Policy and Pedagogy in the Political Economic Context, includes: (9) New Standards and Old Inequalities: School Reform and the Education of African American Students (L. Darling-Hammond); and (10) On the Road to Democratic Economic Participation: Educating African American Youth in the Postindustrial Global Economy (J. G. Nembhard). Part VI, Humanizing Education: Diverse Voices, contains: (11) A Detroit Conversation (J. E. King and S. Parker); and (12) Faith and Courage to Educate Our Own: Reflections on Islamic Schools in the African American Community (Z. Muhammad). Part VII, Globalizing the Struggle for Black Education: African and Diaspora Experiences, presents the next chapters: (13) Worldwide Conspiracy Against Black Culture and Education (I. Seck); (14) Black Educational Experiences in Britain: Reflections on the Global Educational Landscape (C. Wright); (15) Black People and Brazilian Education (T. J. Machado da Silva); and (16) A New Millennium Research Agenda in Black Education: Some Points to Be Considered for Discussion and Decisions (P. B. Goncalves e Silva). Part VIII, "Ore Ire"--Catalyzing Transformation in the Academy: Our Charge to Keep, continues with chapters: (17) Culturally Sensitive Research and Evaluation: Advancing an Agenda for Black Education (L. C. Tillman); (18) "Anayme Nti"--As Long As I Am Alive, I Will Never Eat Weeds: The Online Institute As a Catalyst for Research and Action in Black Education (A. Henry); (19) Incidents in the Lives of Harriet Jacobs' Children--A Readers Theatre: Disseminating the Outcomes of Research on the Black Experience in the Academy (C. A. West Olatunji); and (20) Answering a Call for Transformative Education in the New Millennium--"A Charge to Keep": The CORIBE Documentary Video (D. Hill). An afterword, postscript, and appendix are conclude the book. | [FULL TEXT]

Kippes, Mae Willa (2004).  Connecting across Distances and Differences  English Journal, 93, 6. 

The curriculum continuity for students in isolated rural areas is affected due to the difficulty in getting teachers. Thus, there is a lack of cultural events such as musical performances that hinder students' horizons as a result of this geographical isolation.

Kirk, Jackie (2004).  Impossible Fictions: The Lived Experiences of Women Teachers in Karachi  Comparative Education Review, 48, 4. 

This article discusses data from a study of women teachers in Karachi, Pakistan, that present their alternative perspectives so as to inform educational policy development and to develop more explicitly gendered theories of teaching. It begins with a brief introduction to the positioning of women teachers within the international context of gender, education, and development. Then it introduces the study from which the author presents data and the organizing concept of impossible fictions. Using the words of women teachers, the author discusses experiences of becoming and being a woman teacher, as well as women's experiences and perspectives on teaching girls and boys. The article concludes with a brief discussion of the implications for policy and programming, especially for teacher education.

Kirkpatrick Johnson, Monica; Elder, Glen H.; Stern, Michael (2005).  Attachments to Family and Community and the Young Adult Transition of Rural Youth  Journal of Research on Adolescence, 15, 1. 

Rural youth in economically troubled regions develop plans for their future in a context in which opportunities for educational and occupational success generally lie elsewhere, prompting the need to migrate. This study investigates the links between rural adolescents' residential preferences and their plans for the future, perceptions of local opportunity, and ties to family and community. We examine whether residential preferences shape the pathways to adulthood through decisions about where to live as well as educational and occupational attainments. Residential preferences are indeed related to adolescents' academic achievements and future educational plans, their relationships with parents, and perceptions of local job opportunities, but they are not associated with family socioeconomic background and social ties to the community. For the most part, residential preferences are linked to where young people live and pursue higher education in the years after high school, but generally not to their socioeconomic attainment.

Kitchen, Richard S. (2004).  Challenges Associated with Developing Discursive Classrooms in High-Poverty, Rural Schools  Mathematics Teacher, 97, 1. 

The challenges in developing discursive classrooms in high-poverty, rural schools motivate less verbal students to communicate. Students tend to resist mathematics education reforms and classroom discourses.

Klein, Emily D.; Gehrke, Brenda J.; Green, Thomas A.; Zentall, Thomas R.; Bardo, Michael T. (2007).  Repeated Cocaine Experience Facilitates Sucrose-Reinforced Operant Responding in Enriched and Isolated Rats  Learning and Motivation, 38, 1. 

The purpose of the present experiment was to determine whether repeated cocaine exposure differentially affects sucrose-reinforced operant responding in rats raised in an enriched condition (EC) or an isolated condition (IC). Specifically, the performance of EC and IC rats pressing a lever for sucrose under a high fixed-ratio schedule (FR 30) prior to and after 10 days of exposure to cocaine (15mg/kg, i.p.) or saline was compared. Regardless of rearing condition, rats repeatedly exposed to cocaine had shorter reacquisition latencies to complete a sucrose-reinforced FR 30 task than saline controls. The results suggest that cocaine exposure may have cross-sensitized both EC and IC rats to the reinforcing effects of sucrose or sucrose-associated cues, thus facilitating reacquisition of operant responding.

Kliucharev, Grigory; Muckle, James (2005).  Ethical Values in Russian Education Today: A Moral Maze  Journal of Moral Education, 34, 4. 

In this article, the complexity or possible confusion in public attitudes to ethical issues is explored. The characteristics of the 'Soviet person' as once instilled in schoolchildren are listed and elucidated. Results of nationwide surveys of the Russian population carried out most recently in 2004 are used to illustrate the values that Russian people subscribe to today. The mass media, the world of business and the Church are seen as promulgating conflicting values, while a large majority of the population appear to believe that the State should intervene in moral education by laying down principles to be observed. The situation is fluid, in that attitudes are changing, but continuity with earlier Russian or Soviet viewpoints can often be detected. There is evidence that educators are resisting both the business ethic and the licentiousness of the mass media. Society has not yet reconciled traditional Russian community spirit with the spirit of enterprise.

Klonsky, Michael (2002).  Small Schools and Teacher Professional Development. ERIC Digest. 

Small schools can provide an environment well suited to new and improved forms and models of teacher professional development. A compact faculty size can support close interpersonal relationships, resulting in greater teacher collaboration on interdisciplinary units and personalized teaching plans for all students. Thus, the necessity and opportunity for shared professional learning are heightened. In small schools, teachers often use peer-coaching models in which teachers serve as coaches for other teachers and facilitate reflective professional development activities that enable them to know students and themselves better. Knowing students well also entails professional development that supports the teaching of students with special needs and those from diverse racial and cultural backgrounds. Small size allows personnel to shift their schedules as needed to support practices the school deems important. Relationships between teachers and administrators in small schools tend to be more personal and informal, resulting in greater cooperation among the staff. Innovations resulting from teacher experience are more likely to be recognized and implemented in small schools. | [FULL TEXT]

Klostermann, Brenda K.; Presley, Jennifer B. (2005).  A Common Vision: Teacher Quality Enhancement in the Middle Grades in Illinois. Collaborating for Success: Lessons Learned from Illinois' TQE Grant Implementation  [Online Submission] 

Findings are presented from our case study evaluating the implementation of the IBHE's federally funded grant, "A Common Vision: Teacher Quality Enhancement in the Middle Grades in Illinois." Four sites were examined in terms of how they organized to attain the grant goals, and what aspects of organizational culture and leadership behavior contributed to success. This cross-site analysis draws lessons learned from the four sites to assist future implementation of multi-site higher education projects.  | [FULL TEXT]

Kobiane, Jean-Francois; Calves, Anne-Emmanuele; Marcoux, Richard (2005).  Parental Death and Children's Schooling in Burkina Faso  Comparative Education Review, 49, 4. 

In this article, the authors review the literature on orphanhood, schooling, and the role of the extended family system in supporting the education of orphans in Burkina Faso. They also summarize the historical, social, and economic context of this study. The objective of this study is to assess the effect of orphanhood on children's access to school and explore the roles of poverty and the extended family support network in helping children to attend school following the death of a parent. Using the descriptive as well as multivariate analysis on the event history data collected in 2000, the authors found that parental death is detrimental for children's chances of entering school when they lose both parents, especially in rural areas.

Koopman, Richelle J.; Mainous, Arch G.; Geesey, Mark E. (2006).  Rural Residence and Hispanic Ethnicity: Doubly Disadvantaged for Diabetes?  Journal of Rural Health, 22, 1. 

Context: Hispanics are at increased risk for diabetes, while rural residents have historically had decreased access to care. Purpose: To determine whether living in a rural area and being Hispanic confers special risks for diagnosis and control of diabetes. Methods: We analyzed the Third National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (1988-1994). Hispanics and non-Hispanic white adults were classified according to rural/urban residence to create 4 ethnicity-residence groups. Investigated outcomes were previously diagnosed and undiagnosed diabetes. Among those with diagnosed diabetes, we investigated control of glucose, hypertension, and lipids. Findings: The prevalence of diagnosed diabetes was greatest for rural residents, especially for rural Hispanics (8.2%) versus that for urban whites (4.6%), rural whites (6.5%), or urban Hispanics (4.5%), (P less than 0.01). However, urban Hispanics were most likely to have undiagnosed diabetes at 3.7%, versus 2.3% of rural whites, 2.8% of urban whites, and 2.7% of rural Hispanics (P = 0.04). Among people with diagnosed diabetes, there was no difference in glycemic control between the 4 groups. Rural Hispanics with diagnosed diabetes had the greatest prevalence of elevated systolic blood pressure at 45%, compared to 37% of urban whites, 29% of rural whites, 28% of urban Hispanics (P = 0.01). In regression models controlling for potential confounders, there were no differences among urban and rural whites and Hispanics in the likelihood of undiagnosed diabetes or in glycemic control for those with diagnosed diabetes. Conclusions: Initiatives that target Hispanic health, and especially diabetes, should acknowledge rural/urban Hispanic health differences.

Korf, Benedikt; Oughton, Elizabeth (2006).  Rethinking the European Countryside--Can We Learn from the South?  Journal of Rural Studies, 22, 3. 

A new paradigm of multi-dimensional rural development has emerged which advocates a broader conception of the rurality where the rural is no longer the monopoly of the farmer. This new, broader paradigm needs to be reflected in the "methodology" of social scientific research, both generic and applied. In this paper we are primarily concerned with transfer of research "methodologies" utilised in development studies in the South to explore their usefulness for rethinking the European countryside. Such a transfer of methodology may be helpful, because integrated rural development can build on a long legacy in the South, while it has only recently been advocated in the EU context. The paper reflects upon the application of two such analytical concepts originating from development studies, which we have applied for research on the rural geographies in the European countryside, namely Sen's livelihood capabilities approach and Chambers' concept of participatory rural appraisal (PRA). Having the sustainable livelihoods approach as overall framework, both methodologies are qualitative in nature and address people's survival strategies and livelihood practices with a focus on micro-level analysis at individual, household (Sen) and community level (PRA), while reflecting their embeddedness in wider social, political and economic structures. Our comparative studies suggest that the prospects for bottom-up development, as orchestrated by PRA or similar approaches, is constrained by structural factors, which define the boundaries for local development. The capabilities approach is useful to detect the capabilities to act and be within which bottom-up approaches may take their--though limited--role in rural development.

Kostin, A. K. (2006).  The Regionalization of Education: A Strategic Direction of Educational Policy  Russian Education & Society, 48, 11. 

In this article, the author discusses a number of obstacles and difficulties that have sprung up, impeding the regionalization of education in Russia. There is inadequate understanding of a region's educational needs and desires, and a region's readiness and ability may not be developed enough to serve as an active agent of educational policy. There is also low implementation of the social and adaptive function of education and the fact that those directly involved lack adequate understanding of education's cultural aims and values. Among other things, the author discusses a number of approaches to the interpretation of the essential nature of the process of the regionalization of education.

Kotlowski, Dean J. (2006).  Out of the Woods: The Making of the Maine Indian Claims Settlement Act  American Indian Culture and Research Journal, 30, 4. 

"Maine appears out of the woods," the editor of the "Lewiston Evening Journal" opined, after President Jimmy Carter signed the Maine Indian Claims Settlement Act in 1980. That sigh of relief was heartfelt. During the 1970s, two Native American tribes, the Passamaquoddies and Penobscots, had sparked a long, statewide nightmare when they asserted claim to more than 12 million acres of land in the Pine Tree State. To the Indians, their claim and the ensuing settlement represented long-delayed justice. For private-property owners, however, the controversy unleashed great anxiety about the future of Maine's economy. To leaders in the Maine statehouse, Congress, and the White House, the matter was a conundrum pitting the demands of an aggrieved racial minority against the ire of an aroused white majority. When Congress, in 1980, granted the Passamaquoddies and Penobscots federal recognition and $81.5 million in cash, from which they could purchase up to 300,000 acres of land, all sides breathed easier. The land claims of these tribes form a compelling, albeit overlooked (by historians), story that illustrates three larger themes. The first involves the Native American rights movement, whose leadership and tactics proved quite diverse. Second, the Maine saga underscores the national scope of white backlash against Indian rights. Third, the Maine claims settlement cannot be separated from the shift in Indian policy. At its core, the Maine Indian Claims Settlement Act signaled an end more than a beginning. The tribes' expansive claim, the prospect of their victory in court, and the threat of similar suits in other eastern states made the road to restitution particularly long and tortuous. Passamaquoddy and Penobscot leaders at times used heated rhetoric to press their demands. Maine politicians--with the exception of Democratic Senator William D. Hathaway, who eventually brokered a compromise--sided with their non-Indian constituents, thus blocking a settlement. And the Carter administration, hamstrung by its own inexperience in governance generally and in Native American policy particularly, at best lurched toward a solution. Such happenings suggested that the Maine Indian Claims Settlement Act would be the last of its scale for the federal government.

Kozik, Peter L.; Cowles, Richard C.; Sweet, Dale J. (2004).  Staying Eligible  Principal Leadership, 5, 4. 

In this article, the author describes how Cato-Meridian, a 450-student rural high school in the New York State, successfully implemented a new cocurricular eligibility policy that integrated after-school activities with student academic accountability. The program created data that drove decisions about student life and student-teacher interaction and led to the development of innovative practice. The number of students failing any one course was cut in half and discipline referrals declined significantly.

Kozma, Tamas (2005).  Moral Education in Hungary Fifteen Years After the Transition  Journal of Moral Education, 34, 4. 

The Hungarian transition of 1989-1990 had economic, political and cultural dimensions. The cultural dimension may be defined as (a) a temporary loss of norms and controls, and (b) as an emphatic experience of the "kairos". As an outcome of this unusual experience, new political forces stepped into the educational policy arena, and they established new institutions. The "new educational institutions", like denominational schools, are explained. How do these institutions work after 15 years of the transition? Hungarian public schools are mostly "neutral" as to moral questions. Instead of neutrality it is argued moral education needs manifest norms and values, even if they are values that confront or compete with each other. Such an environment challenges the students morally and helps them to develop their own value systems.

Kraak, Andre (2005).  The Challenge of the "Second Economy" in South Africa: The Contribution of Skills Development  Journal of Vocational Education and Training, 57, 4. 

This article investigates the contribution skills development can make in promoting South Africa's wider socio-economic development. It provides a broad overview of the emerging gap between those who are benefiting from South Africa's transition to democracy and those who are not. Overcoming these worsening social conditions has become a major priority in government's new policy framework. It has been referred to as the challenge of the "second economy," a polemical device aimed at drawing attention to the two-fold challenge of promoting economic growth, whilst reducing poverty and inequality. The article then goes on to describe the new skills development policy framework and the ways in which the Department of Labour is attempting to deal with the "second economy" through a variety of skills development strategies. The progress made in implementing this new approach is then interrogated. Several problems are identified. The analysis concludes by arguing that both government and employers are currently falling short of the capabilities required to effectively rollout these ambitious reforms.

Krist, Alex H.; Johnson, Robert E.; Callahan, David; Woolf, Steven H.; Marsland, David (2005).  Title VII Funding and Physician Practice in Rural or Low-Income Areas  Journal of Rural Health, 21, 1. 

Whether Title VII funding enhances physician supply in underserved areas has not clearly been established. The purpose was to determine the relation between Title VII funding in medical school, residency, or both, and the number of family physicians practicing in rural or low-income communities. A retrospective cross sectional analysis was carried out using the 2000 American Academy of Family Physicians physician database, Title VII funding records, and 1990 U.S. Census data. Included were 9,107 family physicians practicing in 9 nationally representative states in the year 2000. Physicians exposed to Title VII funding through medical school and residency were more likely to have their current practice in low-income communities (11.9% vs 9.9%, P is less than or equal to .02) and rural areas (24.5% vs 21.8%, P is less than or equal to .02). Physicians were more likely to practice in rural communities if they attended medical schools (24.2% vs 21.4%; P = .009) and residencies (24.0% vs 20.3%; P = .011) after the school or program had at least 5 years of Title VII funding vs before. Similar increases were not observed for practice in low-income communities. In a multivariate analysis, exposure to funding and attending an institution with more years of funding independently increased the odds of practicing in rural or low-income communities. Title VII funding is associated with an increase in the family physician workforce in rural and low-income communities. This effect is temporally related to initiation of funding and independently associated with effect in a multivariate analysis, suggesting a potential causal relationship. Whereas the absolute 2% increase in family physicians in these underserved communities may seem modest, it can represent a substantial increase in access to health care for community members.

Krueger, Alan B.; Mas, Alexandre (2004).  Strikes, Scabs, and Tread Separations: Labor Strife and the Production of Defective Bridgestone/firestone Tires.  Journal of Political Economy, 112, 2. 

This paper provides a case study of the effect of labor relations on product quality. We consider whether a long, contentious strike and the hiring of replacement workers at Bridgestone/Firestone's Decatur, Illinois, plant in the mid-1990s contributed to the production of defective tires. Using several independent data sources and looking before and after the strike and across plants, we find that labor strife at the Decatur plant closely coincided with lower product quality. Monthly data suggest that defects were particularly high around the time concessions were demanded and when large numbers of replacement workers and returning strikers worked side by side.

Kumar, Anant (2008).  Universal Primary Education among Tribals in Jharkhand: A Situational Analysis  [Online Submission] 

The paper is an attempt to understand and analyse the status of universal primary education among tribals in Jharkhand and its challenges. Considering the low literacy among tribals and high drop out rates at elementary and higher levels, there is need of special focus on tribal's education, inclusive of context-specific traditional and innovative interventions. The paper suggests that to make a substantial inroad towards attaining the goal of universal primary education, it is imperative that all interventions should have community participation as a core strategy. In order to ensure universal education and sustainable improvement in the quality of education it is necessary to bring the community closer to the school system. The paper shows that education of tribals has not received whole hearted support of the state and focused effort in this area is still awaited.  | [FULL TEXT]

Kuncl, Ralph W. (2004).  Federal Underinvestment in Education Research  Academe, 90, 4. 

America is a knowledge-based society. But the knowledge business has a problem. It does not know enough. When General Electric or Microsoft has a problem, it spends several percent of its revenues--perhaps billions of dollars--on research and development. It does so despite enormous demands on the resources that drive its profits. Historically, as a society, the United States has pumped about 5 to 10 percent of total federal expenditures for defense and health into research and development--in spite of serious pressures to fund the delivery of national defense and health care. It is a great irony that education, a field that values new knowledge so much, lags severely behind in the proportion of outlays devoted to research. Why invest in education research? Put simply, there are vast areas of ignorance in education. A small sampling of research questions applicable to all educational settings includes: (1) How do students learn best? By experience? By drill? In play or sport? (2) What's the optimal class size (especially in K-12 education)? (3) How does ethnic diversity enhance learning, and what evidence shows that it does? (4) How do we achieve fewer dropouts? (5) What techniques work best for retention of knowledge? (6) How can basic cognitive science be translated into the classroom? The conclusion the data suggest is woefully obvious: America under-supports research on education. It is short changed compared not only with business, but also with public spending on health and defense. Education is not, however, so different from health and defense. All three enterprises involve massive amounts of services and huge personnel costs and occupy an essential, high place in the panoply of human needs in a democratic society.

Kusler, Mary Conk (2003).  Rural Districts REAP New Money.  State Education Standard, 4, 1. 

Rural Education Achievement Program (REAP) grants give rural districts a new source of federal funds. REAP has two separate programs that address the specific needs of rural districts. The first is the Small and Rural Schools Achievement Program; the second is the Rural and Low Income Schools Program. Explains the differences in the programs and lists state allocations.

Kuusinen, Asta (2008).  "Ojo de la Diosa": Becoming Divine in Delilah Montoya's Art Photography  Aztlan: A Journal of Chicano Studies, 33, 1. 

The essay interprets Delilah Montoya's artworks in the context of so-called feminist theology, drawing from its ideas about desire, natality, and self-divination. After discussing the theme of desire and the quest for women's religious agency in some of Montoya's earlier works, the essay focuses on the photo-installation "La Guadalupana", elucidating the artist's technique in reorganizing the parameters of the "proto-subject" of Chicano cultural nationalism. One of the reified embodiments of this subject allegedly is "el pinto", the Mexican American male convict or ex-convict. Elaborating upon Montoya's working methods and her motivation to extract the pinto image from the prison confines and spirit his body into the museum, the essay finally argues that the installation engages in a bi-gendering performance that ritualizes the male body as the site of suffering. At the same time, the vernacular religious aesthetics of the work situate the artist herself as the "Eye" of a Mexican American community--that is, as an embodied subject whose religious authority dismantles the myth that only the male body can act as the writer and reader of culture.

Kvalsund, Rune (2004).  Schools as Environments for Social Learning--Shaping Mechanisms? Comparisons of Smaller and Larger Rural Schools in Norway  Scandinavian Journal of Educational Research, 48, 4. 

This article analyses and compares the learning environment in smaller and bigger rural schools by focusing on the arenas of both formal and informal learning; the lessons and the recesses between. Relational patterns are both analysed using complete network data from 19 schools in four different municipalities in four Norwegian counties and by comparisons based on data from 80 pupil interviews. The analyses are replicated and followed up by comparison of schools in two additional municipalities. The smaller and bigger rural schools offer radically different learning environments. The aspects of individual and collective agency in learning, self-centrism, intimization, social exclusion, independence and control as part of everyday life in schools are analysed and discussed. Mechanisms shaping the differences in the learning environments are identified. Needs for further research are formulated.