Rural Education | M

Mabogoane, Thabo; Patel, Firoz (2006).  Recognising Behaviour that Increases Learning: The Possible Role of Incentives in the Teaching Profession. Research Article  Perspectives in Education, 24, 2. 

This article argues that incentives can help increase teacher performance and retention. Incentives send out a clear signal of what an education system expects from its teachers; at the same time teachers do respond to incentives inherent in the education system. Many education systems have weak incentives and therefore fail to signal to teachers the kind of behaviour the education system values. We explore possible incentives for dealing with retention of teachers in rural schools and the distribution of scarce skilled teachers. In the process we discuss teacher attitude towards these incentives through in-depth interviews and a survey conducted on incentives. A review of relevant international experiences on incentives provides information on the pitfalls to avoid, and on the successes of incentives.

Mabokela, Reitumetse Obakeng; Mawila, Kaluke Felicity Ntwanano (2004).  The Impact of Race, Gender, and Culture in South African Higher Education  Comparative Education Review, 48, 4. 

South Africa's government initiatives, such as the Commission on Gender Equality, the National Gender Forum, and the Office on the Status of Women, support efforts by its institutions of higher education to become more inclusive and equitable. Nevertheless, there remain fundamental obstacles to the lull participation of South African women in the management structures of academe. This article examines the obstacles of race, gender, and culture to the professional advancement of Black female scholars and administrators in South African institutions of higher education. Given the documented historical and continuing underrepresentation of South African women in this sector, it is important to understand their experiences in order to facilitate the establishment of institutional environments that will be supportive to their professional endeavors.

MacDonald, John M.; Morral, Andrew R.; Raymond, Barbara; Eibner, Christine (2007).  The Efficacy of the Rio Hondo Dui Court: A 2-Year Field Experiment  Evaluation Review, 31, 1. 

This study reports results from an evaluation of the experimental Rio Hondo driving under the influence (DUI) court of Los Angeles County, California. Interviews and official record checks with 284 research participants who were randomly assigned to a DUI court or a traditional criminal court were assessed at baseline and at 24-month follow-up. The interviews assessed the impact of the DUI court on self-reported drunk driving behavior, the completion of treatment, time spent in jail, alcohol use, and stressful life events. Official record checks assessed the impact of the DUI court on subsequent arrests for driving under the influence and other drinking-related behaviors. Few differences on any outcomes were observed between participants in the experimental DUI court and those assigned to the traditional court. The results suggest that the DUI court model had little additional therapeutic or public safety benefit over the traditional court process. The implication of these findings for the popularity of specialized courts for treating social problems is discussed.

Macgarvey, Anna (2005).  Rural Youth Education and Support Program: The Casterton Experience  Rural Society, 15, 2. 

Young people's lives have been directly and indirectly affected by the dynamics of decline in rural Australia. In early 1999, the Casterton region experienced the suicides of two young people. These events led to the funding of a rural youth education and support program at the town's secondary college. The program adopts a multi-layered approach to reduce risk factors and strengthen the protective factors amongst students at the college through the enhancement of social connectedness, personal safety and freedom, and educational participation. The program provides interventions at the individual, school and community levels through case management, the delivery of group programs and opportunities for community participation. This approach recognises the importance of early intervention and a holistic approach to health and well-being in the student population. This paper provides an overview and preliminary evaluation of the program undertaken in 2002.

MacIntosh-Murray, Anu; Perrier, Laure; Davis, David (2006).  Research to Practice in "The Journal of Continuing Education in the Health Professions": A Thematic Analysis of Volumes 1 through 24  Journal of Continuing Education in the Health Professions, 26, 3. 

Introduction: Authors have stressed the importance of the broader contextual influences on practice improvement and learning and have expressed concern about gaps between research and practice. This implies a potential expansion of the knowledge base for continuing education in the health professions (CEHP) and an increased emphasis on research evidence for that knowledge. How has the content of "The Journal of Continuing Education in the Health Professions" ("JCEHP") reflected those changes? What are the implications for CEHP practitioners? Methods: Based on all abstracts, tables of contents, and editorials, a thematic analysis was completed for volumes 1 through 24 of "JCEHP." All texts were downloaded into qualitative analysis software and coded. Main code categories included demographics of articles, concepts relating to CEHP as a discipline, knowledge translation and outcomes-oriented continuing education, and theories and frameworks. Key themes were identified. Results: Key themes include categories of topics included in "JCEHP" over the years, the increased prominence of research in "JCEHP," a dual research evidence-to-practice gap, the professionalization of continuing education providers, and interdisciplinarity and the links with broader frameworks that have been proposed for CEHP. Discussion: Two sets of research-to-practice gaps are portrayed in the journal: the gap between clinical research and practice and the gap between research and practice in CEHP. To close the first gap, authors have asserted that the second gap must be addressed, ensuring that CEHP practices themselves are evidence based, driven by theory-based research. This is a variation on prior debates regarding the need to define CEHP as a discipline, which uses the language of professionalization. The increased focus of continuing education on the contexts of health care providers' practices has multiplied the topics that are potentially relevant to CEHP practice.

Mackinlay, Elizabeth (2003).  Performing Race, Culture, and Gender in an Indigenous Australian Women's Music and Dance Classroom  Communication Education, 52, 3-4. 

One perpetual concern among Indigenous Australian peoples is authenticity of voice. Who has the right to speak for, and to make representations about, the knowledges and cultures of Indigenous Australian peoples? Whose voice is more authentic, and what happens to these ways of knowing when they make the journey into mainstream Western academic classrooms? In this paper, I examine these questions within the politics of "doing" Indigenous Australian studies by focusing on my own experiences as a lecturer in the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Studies Unit at the University of Queensland. My findings suggest that representation is a matter of problematizing positionality and, from a pedagogical standpoint, being aware of, and willing to address, the ways in which power, authority, and voice are performed and negotiated as teachers and learners of Indigenous Australian studies.

MacLean, Margaret; Williams, Doris Terry (2004).  Sicily Island High School: A Case Study of a Rural High School Yielding Results  [Rural School and Community Trust] 

This report describes the demographic and economic characteristics of Sicily Island, Louisiana and its schools, and discusses the ways in which teaching and learning have changed in Sicily Island schools since they embarked on a program of reform in the late 1990s. It examines the schools' improvement efforts and results through the lenses of the Rural School and Community Trust's Principles and Indicators for Good High Schools: (1) Curriculum and Instruction; (2) Community Connectedness; (3) Democratic Practice; (4) Supporting Structures; (5) Staffing; and (6) Facilities and (7) Leadership. Ongoing challenges include: (1) Keeping school; (2) Showing improvement; (3) Expanding curriculum; and (4) Connecting to community. Policy implications at the local and state levels are outlined.  | [FULL TEXT]

Maconachie, Roy; Binns, Tony (2007).  "Farming Miners" or "Mining Farmers"?: Diamond Mining and Rural Development in Post-Conflict Sierra Leone  Journal of Rural Studies, 23, 3. 

Sierra Leone is currently emerging from a brutal civil war that lasted most of the 1990s, and now has the dubious distinction of being ranked among the world's poorest countries. As thousands of displaced people move back to their villages, a large proportion of the predominantly farm-based rural population are growing food crops for the first time in a decade. Alluvial diamond mining makes an important contribution to the national economy, though some would argue that Sierra Leone's diamonds are a "resource curse". Drawing upon research undertaken in the 1970s and also in the post-conflict period, the paper provides a longitudinal perspective on the complex links between the farming and mining sectors. Recent field research in Sierra Leone's Eastern Province, indicates that many links between farming and diamond mining have actually been maintained despite severe dislocation. These links could play a key role in rejuvenating market-oriented food production, providing the much-needed impetus for post-war rural development. In charting a future development trajectory, the paper recognizes the urgent need for an effective management scheme for both mining and marketing diamonds, given the potentially destabilizing effect on the country of the uncontrolled exploitation of this valuable resource. In this context, a recent community-based, integrated management initiative adopted by one local NGO, the Peace Diamond Alliance, is examined. If meaningful rural development is to be achieved among desperately poor communities, development strategies must be based on a detailed understanding of the nature of inter-locking livelihoods in the agricultural and mining sectors.

MacTavish, Katherine A.; Salamon, Sonya (2006).  Pathways of Youth Development in a Rural Trailer Park  Family Relations, 55, 2. 

Limited empirical documentation exists for the developmental pathways available to "rural" youth growing up in low-resource community settings. Drawing on ethnographic data, this article examines the developmental pathways experienced by youth in a rural trailer park. Findings reveal how various factors, some inherent to working poor class status and others unique to trailer park residence and small town community, challenge youth's access to a pathway offering broader life chances.

Madsen, Lene M.; Adriansen, Hanne Kirstine (2004).  Understanding the Use of Rural Space: The Need for Multi-Methods  Journal of Rural Studies, 20, 4. 

Although the late 1990s saw increasing use of qualitative data in rural studies and a turn towards issues such as identities and the construction of rurality, many rural researchers still rely on a range of different methods and use both qualitative and quantitative data. However, the challenge of combining quantitative and qualitative data and using different methods is a theme not often dealt with in rural studies, at least not explicitly. This paper (re-)turns the attention to implications of using various methods and combining different types of data for studying a subject matter called "the use of rural space." It concerns both physical land use and the practice and values of individual actors influencing the land use. We emphasise interplay between methodology and philosophy throughout the research process and argue for using multi-methods without compromising the integrity of the different methods. The methodological approach is a combined study of practice and values of individual actors. Two examples--one concerning Senegalese pastoralists' livelihoods and their use of mobility and one concerning landowners' location of field afforestation in Denmark--illustrate how the approach facilitates quite different studies of both practice and values and how quantitative and qualitative data can be combined in a non-eclectic way.

Madsen, Lene Moller; Adriansen, Hanne Kirstine (2006).  Knowledge Constructions in Research Communities: The Example of Agri-Rural Researchers in Denmark  Journal of Rural Studies, 22, 4. 

Construction of scientific knowledge can be seen as a struggle over who should define the terms and conditions of legitimate fields of research. Sociologists of scientific knowledge (SSK) have pointed to the importance of analysing scientific knowledge in the same way as other types of knowledge. This idea guides the present paper on Danish research in agriculture and rural areas. Based on an ethnographic study of researchers involved in rural studies, we take stock of the agri-rural research community in Denmark and reflect upon the how and why "fashions" in Danish rural studies differ from "fashions" in rural studies in the UK. In the analysis, we show how a research community construct and reconstruct itself in relation to what is perceived as legitimate fields of research. Finally, the paper gives insight into the research world of those doing research outside the UK and adds to the discussion of "putting philosophies of geography into practice" that is on-going in British geography.

Mahbub, Tahiya (2008).  Inclusive Education at a BRAC School--Perspectives from the Children  British Journal of Special Education, 35, 1. 

Tahiya Mahbub is a lecturer in English studies at North South University located in Dhaka, Bangladesh. In this article, she presents some of the data on which her MPhil thesis, completed at the University of Cambridge Faculty of Education, was based. This research was carried out in Bangladesh, focusing on a primary school run by the non-governmental organisation (NGO) BRAC. Tahiya Mahbub adopted a case study approach in order to investigate this single-teacher, single-room school in Tongi, a suburb of Dhaka, the capital of Bangladesh. The work she reports here explores children's understandings about the culture, policy and practice at their school. Tahiya Mahbub argues that this sort of inquiry is necessary to the development of inclusion. She advocates equality and togetherness not only for children in school, but also between children and adults in educational research and eventually in the bigger picture of society itself. Finally, she proposes, it is essential to listen to children's experiences of school, their suggestions for change and their ideas in order to lift children's low social status in Bangladesh.

Maheux, Gisele; Simard, Diane (2001).  The Problematic of the Practice of Teachers' Training in Inuit Communities within a Perspective of Knowledge Construction in Collaboration. 

In response to requests by two communities in Nunavik (northern Quebec), an Inuit teachers' training program has been offered since 1985 to community school personnel by the Universite du Quebec en Abitibi-Temiscamingue. The language used by the students, teachers (or teachers-to-be), and professional resources in the program is Inuktitut. The development of professional knowledge and know-how in education comes up against the conceptual limits of the language. Therefore, as part of the training, a language-building process has developed throughout the years. The working approach is collaborative. Inuit teachers and pedagogical counselors know their first language and their culture. The university professors have expertise in curriculum development and academic discourse. Each group has its own cultural identity, so to ensure the harmonious development of the project, the principles of equal status and interdependence of the partners have been adopted in an interactive, intercultural process. The process must integrate the native Inuit way of transmitting knowledge and literacy on one part, and the analytical cognitive model of the mainstream culture on the other part. The use of Native first language can not be limited to the oral medium. The development of writing presupposes that agreements on a common alphabet and on writing conventions are made, yet Native languages have multiple dialects and a lack of official and legitimate structures to solve such questions. | [FULL TEXT]

Mahon, Marie (2007).  New Populations; Shifting Expectations: The Changing Experience of Irish Rural Space and Place  Journal of Rural Studies, 23, 3. 

This paper presents a summary account of the changing nature of places in the urban fringe in Ireland. As such places are still largely perceived of as rural in nature, this involves a consideration of what constitutes the rural, itself the subject of ongoing debate. Using research conducted in three urban fringe locations in the West of Ireland, the discussion explores how such places are being conceptualised, through an analysis of the lay discourses of a number of residents. These lay accounts of place, particularly the meanings assigned to the rural and the urban, are examined with a view to understanding how spaces and places, still broadly regarded as rural, are being produced, and how both changing and conflicting representations of the rural are altering the experiences of such places.

Mahoney, Carolyn R. (2003).  Mathematics Education in Rural Communities: A Mathematician's View. Working Paper Series. 

Elizabeth City State University (ECSU) serves the 21 counties of rural northeastern North Carolina. In Fall 2000 ECSU administrators met with educators in area school districts to discuss their professional development needs. This paper reports on those expressed needs relevant to mathematics education and discusses ways to help achieve excellence in rural mathematics education. Among the challenges identified were (1) implementing state standards, aligning curricular materials with standards, and aligning preservice and inservice teacher education with the standards and school curricula; (2) connecting mathematics education to students' everyday lives by basing curriculum in local resources, environment, and events; and (3) desire of teachers to increase their mathematics content knowledge and improve their mathematics teaching skills. Mathematicians and mathematics educators can work together to ensure that university programs address mathematics teachers' needs and to develop resource materials. ECSU has increased the exposure of preservice teachers to mathematics courses to deepen teachers' understanding of the mathematics they will teach. In addition, ECSU professors are developing interdisciplinary modules for preservice teachers focused on analysis of research data collected in the nearby Great Dismal Swamp. Other strategies include involvement of mathematicians in mentoring or coaching programs for teachers, college-school collaboration to provide opportunities to discuss research and best practices in mathematics education, and development of university-school-community college partnerships to maximize resources for rural community schooling. | [FULL TEXT]

Maiden, Jeffrey; Stearns, Rodney (2007).  Fiscal Equity Comparisons between Current and Capital Education Expenditures and between Rural and Nonrural Schools in Oklahoma  Journal of Education Finance, 33, 2. 

Fiscal equity in public education has been a substantive issue with a long history in school finance literature. However, the growing demands of capital outlay financing are given little or no attention in typical equity funding schemes. Currently, school districts throughout the nation are faced with the need to finance the construction, renovation, or repair of public school facilities. This study extends equity theory and evaluative methods from their traditional concern with current educational expenditures to the inclusion of capital outlay expenditures and makes comparisons between rural and nonrural school systems. The study includes analysis, with procedures that illuminate the equity condition from a variety of perspectives, of the impact of capital outlay funding divided into state and local allocations on the equity of current educational expenditures. Also, the comparisons of capital outlay expenditures and current educational expenditures are made between rural and nonrural schools. The study was guided by the following research questions: (1) How do current educational expenditures compare with capital outlay expenditures for the years 1995-2003 in Oklahoma?; and (2) Are current educational expenditures and capital outlay expenditures equitable between rural and nonrural schools in Oklahoma?

Malhoit, Gregory C. (2005).  Providing Rural Students with a High Quality Education: The Rural Perspective on the Concept of Educational Adequacy  [Rural School and Community Trust] 

Current means of determining the level of state education funding have denied millions of the nation's children access to a quality education by not providing schools with the resources they need to properly educate all children. It has also created and perpetuated wide gaps in education funding between wealthy and poor school districts. The concept of "educational adequacy" seeks to reverse this process by first determining the resources schools and students need to meet high education standards and then matching sufficient state and local funding with those needs. To explore this notion, the Rural Trust convened five leading state-level rural advocacy organizations. These organizations, collectively referred to as the Rural Equity Collaborative Group (REC Group), are geographically diverse and possess extensive knowledge about rural communities, grassroots people, schools, and education in their states. The REC Group was asked to explore ten key questions: (1) Does money matter in the process of educating children?; (2) How great is the need for accountability and capacity building in a high quality education system?; (3) Are small rural schools cost effective?; (4) What are the unique characteristics of rural communities that should be considered in discussions about education quality?; (5) What fundamental principles underlie a high quality state education funding system?; (6) Are there better ways to convey the concept of "educational adequacy" to rural people and communities?; (7) How essential is community involvement in determining educational "adequacy?"; (8) What are the component parts of a "high quality" or "first rate" rural education program and do they cost more than in other schools?; (9) Do existing state supplemental funding programs sufficiently reflect the higher costs of running rural schools?; and (10) How should state education funding systems be structured to reflect the higher costs of operating rural schools? Their findings and conclusionsare presented in this document. Includes appendix: Summary of Four Leading Approaches to Determine the Adequate Level of Funding for School Districts.  | [FULL TEXT]

Malloy, William W.; Allen, Tawannah (2007).  Teacher Retention in a Teacher Resiliency-Building Rural School  Rural Educator, 28, 2. 

This article focuses on the challenge of teacher retention in rural schools in relation to the No Child Left Behind mandate, that school districts must attract and retain highly qualified teachers. This case study examines the extent to which a rural school enhanced teacher retention by overcoming the barriers that might otherwise have presented a challenge to teacher retention. Findings from this study suggest that the nurturing the nurturers concept, inherent in teacher resiliency-building schools, enhances teacher retention strategies.  | [FULL TEXT]

Manathunga, Catherine (2005).  Early Warning Signs in Postgraduate Research Education: A Different Approach to Ensuring Timely Completions  Teaching in Higher Education, 10, 2. 

Recent government intervention in research higher degree policy across the globe has sharpened universities' focus on the quality of their students' research education experience and on timely completion rates. Studies have sought to highlight the factors that predict research students' timely completion of their studies. Many universities have sought to tighten their selection processes as a way of improving completion rates, even verging on adopting a risk analysis approach to selecting students. Instead this paper takes a preventative, interventionist approach to improving timely completions. It explores how experienced supervisors detect and deal with early warning signs that their research students are experiencing difficulty. It also investigates the wide range of reasons some students nominate for not discussing these difficulties directly with their supervisors. It proposes that supervisors may be able to improve timely completions if they are aware of these reasons and if they adopt a range of explicit pedagogical strategies to support students' learning.

Rural regions across the nation are threatened by declining populations, slowing economies, and legislative power transfers to urban and suburban regions. The very survival of colleges located in these rural regions is at stake. The potential for these rural campuses to survive and thrive via more far-reaching collaboration with their communities and better-focused missions, strategies, and operations must be examined thoroughly, efficiently, and promptly. This research project addresses the role of rural colleges and universities associated with the higher education systems in Minnesota in terms of economic development. Specifically, the research intends to answer the question: What potential does the presence of regional campuses hold for rural communities in facilitating economic development activities? The research methodology drew on data and information from local and national resources to define and apply theoretical constructs and a framework. Successful and emerging models and best practices are described with findings analyzed and adapted for relevance and possible application to Minnesota's rural regions. Metrics are suggested for rural campuses to use to assess the impact of their economic development activities. "Rural campuses" in Minnesota are clearly defined. Seven recommendations are made for capitalizing on the potential of these rural campuses, ranging from implementing targeted strategies to proposing innovative institutional models. Roles for policy makers and leaders from the state level to the campus and community level are addressed. In particular, local communities are encouraged to articulate their expectations to their local colleges and to work with academic leaders to ensure that the region receives the full contribution an institution of higher education can make to fostering more productive economies. | [FULL TEXT]

Manuelito, Kathryn (2005).  The Role of Education in American Indian Self-Determination: Lessons from the Ramah Navajo Community School  Anthropology and Education Quarterly, 36, 1. 

Since 1975 the Indian Self-Determination and Educational Assistance Act has enabled American Indian communities to enact self-determination through community-based schooling. In this study conducted by a Navajo researcher, the Ramah Navajo community defined self-determination and how it was operationalized within the community and school. The study demonstrates how education based on Navajo epistemology has been integral to self-determination at Ramah, underscoring the importance of incorporating Native American epistemologies in schooling for Indigenous students.

Manuelito, Kathryn D. (2003).  Building a Native Teaching Force: Important Considerations. ERIC Digest. 

Since 1975, the political climate has increasingly supported the inclusion of American Indian culture and language in Native education and the training of Native teachers. Native teachers enhance the teacher-student relationship for Native students, are role models for Native youth, and are aware of Native learning styles. The ongoing Native Educators Research Project, examining how language and culture are included in the education of American Indian, Alaska Native, and Hawaiian teachers, surveyed 238 students in 27 Native teacher preparation programs and interviewed program administrators. Although most programs articulated a focus on Native language and culture, course contents and requirements often did not reflect that intent. About half the respondents reported that they spoke and understood their Native language and were knowledgeable about their Native culture. About a third could write in their Native language. Nearly all respondents felt that Native language and culture should be included in the schooling of Native children, but only about a quarter felt prepared to teach their Native language, English as a second language, or bilingual education. While more than half felt prepared to teach multicultural education, only about a quarter felt prepared to teach Native culture. Seventy percent of respondents felt prepared to use cooperative/group instructional strategies, but only 40 percent felt prepared in the area of Native learning styles. | [FULL TEXT]

Manuelito, Kathryn D. (2006).  A Dine (Navajo) Perspective on Self-Determination: An Exposition of an Egalitarian Place  Taboo: The Journal of Culture and Education, 10, 1. 

Worldview of any culture and society is explicated through epistemological principles that frame the way one sees the world. Dine (Navajo) worldview is explicated through epistemology that has been rejected and debased by the dominant society since contact centuries ago. However, enduring powerful Dine (Navajo) worldview persists in contemporary Dine (Navajo) society and continues to frame the world for its people and children who daily are conflicted by the demands of American schooling and the Euro-western worldview. One area in which Dine (Navajo) worldview has been ignored is in the construction of the concept of "self-determination." For a democratic society to "walk its talk," the American society and its foundation, situated in academic research, must recognize Dine (Navajo) perspectives on self-determination, a concept that is paradoxical to Euro-western usage and understanding. This paper focuses on the Ramah Navajo people's views of "self-determination." It presents a study, conducted by the author in the Ramah Navajo community in 2001, that examined the concept of self determination as it is defined and practiced by a Dine (Navajo) community, which asserted control of its school in 1970. The study examined two questions: What is self determination and how is self determination enacted in the Pine Hill School and the Ramah Navajo Community?

Manzo, Kathleen Kennedy (2005).  States Pressed to Refashion Reading First Grant Designs: Documents Suggest Federal Interference  Education Week, 25 n2 p1, 24-25 Sep 2005. 

Evidence is mounting that federal employees and their agents may have directed or even pressured states to choose specific assessments, consultants, and the criteria for evaluating core reading programs as conditions for getting funding under the Reading First initiative, possibly in violation of federal law. "Education Week" found such a pattern of behavior in an examination of thousands of pages of correspondence and official documentation obtained through open-records requests, as well as interviews with education officials across the country. This article presents complaints that federal representatives have overstepped their authority. It also discusses the complaint by Kentucky officials to the U.S. Department of Education, as well as the directive from the Education Department to use Dynamic Indicators of Basic Early Literacy Skills, or DIBELS, in Illinois.

Marcel, Kathleen W. (2003).  Online Advanced Placement Courses: Experiences of Rural and Low-Income High School Students. WCALO Special Studies. 

A study examined rural, low-income students' experiences with online advanced placement (AP) courses. Interviews were conducted with 30 students, their mentors, and school administrators at four rural high schools in two Western states; 25 students were low-income. Positive comments about the online experience mentioned interaction with other students, familiarity with computers and the Internet, ease of navigation, positive experience with vendor, student collaboration, and self-direction. Only a few of the 25 low-income students passed their online AP courses. Critical issues raised included extra time spent in online learning, pace of the course, learning strategies, course selection, lack of preparation, isolation, lack of incentives, problems with group work, access to course texts, mentor issues, instructor issues, attrition, and performance. This report concludes that online AP courses complicate the learning environment for rural and low-income students. For these students to succeed in online AP courses, they must be better prepared for these courses. Online AP courses should be designed to promote active learning, student interaction, and group interaction. Because online AP courses take at least one-third more time than traditional courses, students need access to computers outside of class, ideally at home. The roles of online instructors and mentors need to be better clarified and ways are needed to offer students content help when there are no local teachers with subject-matter expertise. Recommendations for further research are presented. Two appendices present interview questions and a 15-item annotated bibliography. | [FULL TEXT]

Maretzki, Audrey N. (2007).  Women's NutriBusiness Cooperatives in Kenya: An Integrated Strategy for Sustaining Rural Livelihoods  Journal of Nutrition Education and Behavior, 39, 6. 

With funding provided by the Center for Higher Education of the United States Agency for International Development, The Pennsylvania State University and Tuskegee University collaborated with the University of Nairobi in establishing women's NutriBusiness Cooperatives in the Rift Valley and Central Provinces of Kenya. Between 1992 and 1999, the cooperatives were established, facilities and equipment were supplied and extensive participatory training was provided by university-affiliated investigators and project staff. This initiative enabled approximately 2500 rural Kenyan women farmers to add value to their crops by processing and locally marketing nutritious, convenient, culturally-appropriate weaning food mixes. Implementation of the NutriBusiness model is described and challenges of cultural engagement are highlighted.

Marinova, Mariya; Beaudry, Catherine; Taoussi, Abdelaziz; Trepanier, Martin; Paris, Jean (2008).  Economic Assessment of Rural District Heating by Bio-Steam Supplied by a Paper Mill in Canada  Bulletin of Science. 

The article investigates the feasibility of district heating in a small town adjacent to a Kraft pulp mill in eastern Canada. A detailed heat demand analysis is performed for all buildings using a geographical information system and archived data provided by the municipality. The study shows that the entire space heating requirement of the town can be supplied by steam from the mill, even during exceptional peak demands. A screening test based on load density indicators, however, reveals that a district heating serving the entire town would probably not be economically viable. An economic analysis of partial districts show that a district covering about half of the town can be economically viable with a proper balance between the price of the steam sold by the mill to the district operator and the cost of the energy sold to customers.

Marks, Elisabeth; Cargo, Margaret D.; Daniel, Mark (2007).  Constructing a Health and Social Indicator Framework for Indigenous Community Health Research  Social Indicators Research, 82, 1. 

Health and social indicators that capture the distinct historical, social, and cultural contexts of Indigenous communities can play an important role in informing the planning and delivery of community interventions. There is currently considerable interest in cataloguing and vetting meaningful community-level health and social indicators that could be applied to research and health promotion activities in Indigenous communities in Australia, Canada, and New Zealand, inclusive of conventional indicators as well as measures developed specifically for use in or with Indigenous communities. To avoid haphazard selection of indicators, and to assure the comprehensiveness and relevance of any given set of indicators, a framework that can accommodate and conceptually classify indicators representing a full range of domains is required. We report here on the development of a conceptual framework, by which Indigenous community indicators, and more general community-level social indicators, can be sorted, catalogued, and systematically classified within four hierarchical levels. The indicator framework was developed across Canada, Australia and New Zealand in consultation with academic researchers and Indigenous community stakeholders, building from established health and social indicator systems. The Indigenous indicator framework permits Indigenous communities, public health researchers, and funding agencies to compare and select the most appropriate indicators for application in specific contexts from the multitude of existing indicators.

Marks, Gary N. (2007).  Completing University: Characteristics and Outcomes of Completing and Non-Completing Students. Longitudinal Surveys of Australian Youth. Research Report 51  [ACER Press (Australian Council for Educational Research)] 

This report examines the factors that influence course completion by young Australians who commence university. It also documents the labor market outcomes of those who enroll at a university but who leave before obtaining a qualification. It analyzes data from the Longitudinal Surveys of Australian Youth (LSAY) program to address these questions. The data are from a sample of young people who were in Year 9 in 1995 and who commenced higher education between 1998 and 2001, that is within three years of completing Year 12. By mapping the pathways followed by the same group of young people over an extended period of time using annual data collected on their education, training, and labor market activities up until 2004 when they were approximately 23 years of age, longitudinal analyses can add to the understanding provided by other data sources on the university sector. The results of this study suggest that university non-completion has not had substantial negative effects on the transition to the labor market compared to other groups of young people, with the important exception of university course completers. The following is appended: Measures and Frequencies.  [This report forms part of the Longitudinal Surveys of Australian Youth, a research program jointly managed by ACER and the Australian Government Department of Education, Science and Training

Martin, Leisa A.; Chiodo, John J. (2007).  Good Citizenship: What Students in Rural Schools Have to Say about It  Theory and Research in Social Education, 35, 1. 

Political events both in the United States and around the world have led to a resurgence of interest in citizenship education. With this in mind, we conducted a study in rural schools to determine the perceptions of eighth and eleventh grade students regarding citizenship. We wanted to find out what rural students believe are the attributes of a good citizen; what activities they are currently participating in that are related to good citizenship; and what citizenship activities they see themselves performing ten years later in life. The results of the study indicate that students' views of citizenship were grounded in community service or what we consider civic engagement, rather than in political engagement. For these students, voting and holding political office belonged in the future; their focus was on the present. Therefore, we suggest that the concept of citizenship may be age-appropriate--that is, students function as citizens within the limitations of their age and their environment. Consequently, while they do not have full rights and responsibilities under the law, students participate in activities that constitute being a good citizen, and these activities may lead to various forms of political engagement in the future.

Martin, Nancy; Halperin, Samuel (2006).  Whatever It Takes: How Twelve Communities Are Reconnecting Out-of-School Youth  [American Youth Policy Forum Inc.] 

This report explores two questions: (1) What can be done to recover and reconnect young people to opportunities for building useful lives in work, family, and citizenship? and (2) Who is doing what, and where, to reengage out-of-school youth while working to strengthen the communities in which they live? Focusing on the positive, the American Youth Policy Forum's research, interviews, and site visits demonstrate that there are thousands of committed educators, social entrepreneurs, and community leaders across the country who are doing whatever it takes to reconnect out-of-school youth to the social and economic mainstream. Their efforts generally occur without public fanfare or adequate recognition. This document is divided into the following parts: (1) Community Case Studies; and (2) Major National Programs. A list of additional resources and a glossary are also included. [This report was also made possible by the support of the General Electric Fund.]

Martin, Suzanne M.; Williams, Jane M.; Hess, Robert K. (2001).  Personnel Preparation and Service Delivery Issues in Rural Areas: The State of the Art. 

The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act of 1997 (IDEA) reiterates the mandate that students with disabilities receive their education with nondisabled peers to the maximum extent possible. This paper examines issues in the implementation of IDEA in rural settings. A survey of members of the American Council on Rural Special Education yielded 83 usable responses, mostly from college faculty and special education administrators. Virtually all respondents worked in rural or remote settings. Respondents identified distance to campus, retention of qualified personnel, recruitment of program personnel, distance to shopping and recreation, and salary schedule as major difficulties in their teacher preparation programs related to rural location. Half used practicum sites to ensure that students had specific special education knowledge and skills. Several distance learning strategies were used. Seventy-five percent of respondents reported shortages of special education teachers; half reported shortages of related services personnel. Top recruitment strategies were professional development opportunities, paid educational tuition, and salary incentives. Difficulties related specifically to IDEA implementation included lack of qualified personnel to conduct IDEA-mandated evaluations, problems of distance, and difficulties linking goals to the general education curriculum and designing and assessing behavioral intervention plans. Support for IDEA implementation came from the efforts of local personnel, strong family involvement, and interagency support. Recommendations are listed. | [FULL TEXT]

Martinez, Desiree Renee (2006).  Overcoming Hindrances to Our Enduring Responsibility to the Ancestors: Protecting Traditional Cultural Places  American Indian Quarterly, 30, 3-4. 

As first voiced by activists in the United States during the 1960s and 1970s and then sustained by other Native American leaders throughout the rest of the twentieth century, many Native American communities object to archaeological excavations and the wanton destruction of their traditional cultural places. In this article, the author discusses her views on archaeology in relation to Native American communities. In her research, she describes her interactions between members of Wana Pa Koot Koot and Payos Kuus C'uukwe. She discusses four essential cognitive psychology concepts, whom she considers as hindrances to the building of successful relationships, and these are: (1) naive realism; (2) the fixed pie myth; (3) loss aversion; and (4) status quo bias.

Mason, Robin; Rennie, Frank (2007).  Using Web 2.0 for Learning in the Community  Internet and Higher Education, 10, 3. 

This paper describes the use of a range of Web 2.0 technologies to support the development of community for a newly formed Land Trust on the Isle of Lewis, in NW Scotland. The application of social networking tools in text, audio and video has several purposes: informal learning about the area to increase tourism, community interaction, "ownership" of the Trust's website and pride in the local landscape. The paper provides background theory related to informal learning and Web 2.0 technologies and describes an innovative application of them to a sparsely populated rural community.

Massey, Garth M. (2004).  Making Sense of Work on the Wind River Indian Reservation  American Indian Quarterly, 28, 3&4. 

The cycle of employment and unemployment among Indians living on the Wind River Indian Reservation (WRIR), a two-million-acre reservation in west central Wyoming, is examined. Five areas of inquiry are analyzed quantitatively: the structure of employment and unemployment, contributing factors to unemployment, obstacles to re-employment, responses to unemployment, and coping strategies. The roles of job training and education are also explored. (Includes 3 tables.)

Masuda, Jeffrey R.; Garvin, Theresa (2008).  Whose Heartland? The Politics of Place in a Rural-Urban Interface  Journal of Rural Studies, 24, 1. 

This article advances a conceptualization of the rural-urban interface that is centred on a historically and spatially informed politics of place situated within local-global connections. The research is a case study of an inter-municipal development plan called Alberta's Industrial Heartland. Located near the City of Edmonton, in Alberta, Canada, the study area has been characterized by tremendous social, cultural, and economic shifts over the past century, from agriculture, to country residential in-migration, to intensive industrial development in response to the increasing importance of Alberta on the global energy market. A series of interviews conducted with residents, political officials, and other stakeholders documents how parallel, yet contested definitions of the "Heartland" underpinned a "politics of place" over land use change at the rural-urban interface.

Mather, Alexander S.; Hill, Gary; Nijnik, Maria (2006).  Post-Productivism and Rural Land Use: Cul de Sac or Challenge for Theorization?  Journal of Rural Studies, 22, 4. 

Post-productivism is a contested concept, and some argue that it should be abandoned. In this paper, a more focused definition for post-productivism is suggested. Evidence for change in forestry and agriculture that could be categorised as post-productivist is presented, in relation to both the narrower definition and to characterisations suggested by other authors. A reduced (relative) emphasis on material production, combined with an increased emphasis on the provision of environmental services, has characterised rural land use at the end of the 20th century in parts of the developed world. In this sense, post-productivism is a reality, and should not be abandoned. It may have utility in relation to our understanding of land-use change in developed countries, and in that respect to the generating of questions that would amount to a formidable research agenda.

Mathis, William J. (2001).  How To Analyze Your State's Education Funding System. A Workbook from the Rural School and Community Trust Policy Program. 

This booklet aims to help concerned citizens change laws and school funding systems to improve equity and adequacy for rural education programs. It will help readers gather the information they need, evaluate its meaning, put it in context, establish networks with others, and work with their legislatures and courts to solve the problems. Chapter 1 is about finding and accessing a state's "equity network." It explains why networks are important and how to find a state's network, build and expand the network, find resource people, and access a compendium of public school finance programs in the United States and Canada. Chapter 2 explains how to gather and organize preliminary information. It covers current funding information on each state, constitutional guarantees and legal background, and reports and research on states' equity and adequacy. Chapter 3 describes how to analyze a state's equity and equality. Topics covered include collecting needed information, basic concepts of equality, key definitions, measuring equity, matching resources to needs, and applying equity principles. Chapter 4 discusses educational adequacy, including adequacy and constitutional entitlements, defining adequacy, when to use adequacy criteria, and the advantages and disadvantages of adequacy approaches. Chapter 5 examines ways to change the system. Topics include legal strategies, political or legislative remedies, public information campaigns, and how to maintain the remedy. Appendices present a flow chart for analyzing state financing systems, authors of state descriptions of educational finance systems, and an annotated index to resources and references with 44 entries. | [FULL TEXT]

Mathis, William J. (2003).  Financial Challenges, Adequacy, and Equity in Rural Schools and Communities.  Journal of Education Finance, 29, 2. 

Proceedings of the October 2002 meeting of the Rural School and Community Trust in Manchester, New Hampshire. The finance scholars at the meeting discussed a broad range of issues in rural finance, with particular emphasis on adequacy and equity.

Mathis, William J. (2004).  No Child Left behind and the Insomnia Plague  Clearing House, 78, 1. 

In 1974, Ronald Reagan called the United States a "shining city on a hill." A decade later, Mario Cuomo responded by speaking to us about another city that was not on a shining hill. His "Tale of Two Cities" speech, delivered at the 1984 Democratic National Convention, was not only moving but also haunting. In this other city he spoke about, children sleep in cars, live in dysfunctional families, and run on sensuous little streets where yellow smoke rises and reeks. In this other city, children are left behind. Yet the federal government requires schools alone to fix the effects of poverty and deprivation. Although such a task is well beyond schools' abilities (Rothstein 2004), the government requires that schools be labeled, if they fail to accomplish this task. Consequently, misperceptions that schools have squandered great and vast resources go unchallenged.

Matthews, Hollie L.; Laya, Mary; DeWitt, Dawn E. (2006).  Rural Women and Osteoporosis: Awareness and Educational Needs  Journal of Rural Health, 22, 3. 

Context: Little is known about rural women's knowledge about osteoporosis. Purpose: To explore what women from high-prevalence rural communities know about osteoporosis and to assess their learning preferences. Methods: We surveyed 437 women in rural Washington and Oregon. Findings: The response rate was 93% (N = 406). The mean age of respondents was 63 years (range 16-95) and 74% (n = 301) of women were postmenopausal. While 27% over age 40 (n = 111) reported having a fracture as an adult, less than half of this group (42%, n = 47) considered themselves at risk for osteoporosis. Of the 42% (n = 171) who rated their knowledge of osteoporosis good or excellent, only 18% (n = 30) answered calcium and vitamin D questions correctly. About half (53%; n = 214) exercised 3 or more times per week. Reported sources of osteoporosis information included television, magazines, health care providers, and personal contacts. Over half of the women in this study wanted more information about osteoporosis, most wanted it before age 50, and health care providers were a preferred source. Less than half of participants reported having Internet access. Conclusions: While many participants underestimated their osteoporosis risk, most women wanted to learn more about osteoporosis and health care providers remain a preferred source of information.

Mattler, Uwe (2007).  Inverse Target- and Cue-Priming Effects of Masked Stimuli  Journal of Experimental Psychology: Human Perception and Performance, 33, 1. 

The processing of a visual target that follows a briefly presented prime stimulus can be facilitated if prime and target stimuli are similar. In contrast to these positive priming effects, inverse priming effects (or negative compatibility effects) have been found when a mask follows prime stimuli before the target stimulus is presented: Responses are facilitated after dissimilar primes. Previous studies on inverse priming effects examined target-priming effects, which arise when the prime and the target stimuli share features that are critical for the response decision. In contrast, 3 experiments of the present study demonstrate inverse priming effects in a nonmotor cue-priming paradigm. Inverse cue-priming effects exhibited time courses comparable to inverse target-priming effects. Results suggest that inverse priming effects do not arise from specific processes of the response system but follow from operations that are more general.

Maxwell, Jane Carlisle; Tackett-Gibson, Melissa; Dyer, James (2006).  Substance Use in Urban and Rural Texas School Districts  Drugs: Education. 

The aim of this study is to compare substance use between urban and rural secondary school districts in Texas between 1998 and 2003. The differences were analyzed using chi-square and analysis of variance. The analysis found that rural schools had students who reported higher rates of use of tobacco, frequent binge drinking, and driving while drunk and urban schools had students who reported higher rates of use of marijuana and driving while "stoned." However, the gaps in illicit drug use and drug use attitudes between urban and rural districts may be closing. Compared to 1998-1999, differences in perceptions of dangerousness and parental disapproval of use had narrowed by 2002-2003. This trend in rural use may be due to the fact that the percentage of rural schools providing drug education had decreased to levels similar to urban schools.

Mayes, Robert (2004).  Review of Distance Education Literature. Occasional Paper No. 6  [Appalachian Collaborative Center for Learning] 

The Appalachian Collaborative Center for Learning, Assessment, and Instruction in Mathematics (ACCLAIM), an NSF Center for Learning and Teaching, is establishing a series of undergraduate and graduate mathematics and mathematics education courses with the goal of increasing the capacity for leadership in mathematics education in rural places. In an effort to offer quality courses and programs through computer-mediated distance learning, ACCLAIM commissioned a review of the literature to determine best practices. A review of research and expository articles on distance education was conducted, with a restriction to post-1990 articles. Mathematics distance education course articles were an additional focus. | [FULL TEXT]

Mayfield, Laureen Goers (2000).  The Effects of Structured One-on-One Tutoring in Sight Word Recognition of First Grade Students At-Risk for Reading Failure. 

This study evaluated the effects of using the Edmark Reading Program, Level 1, to develop sight-word vocabulary in first graders at risk for reading failure. This program is a highly structured approach based on providing explicit, direct instruction that is intensive, focused, and not of brief duration. The 62 students receiving the intervention attended three schools with high numbers of economically disadvantaged students in rural Louisiana and were selected as being in the 20-30 percent of students most at risk for reading disabilities. Half of the students received 15 minutes per day of one-on-one tutoring using the Edmark program by volunteer college students. Control group students were read to aloud in small groups for an equal amount of time. The study found that one-on-one tutoring using the Edmark Reading Program was successful in increasing the sight word vocabulary and comprehension skills of the students. | [FULL TEXT]

Mays, Russell O. (2006).  Julius Rosenwald: Building Partnerships for American Education  Professional Educator. 

Julius Rosenwald (1862-1932) made enormous contributions to African American education, rural education, and many aspects of American life. Even so, he remains a little known figure to many. To a large extent, his impact was the result of an ability to build and maintain effective partnerships. This brief history summarizes Rosenwald's thoughts on philanthropy and it reviews some of his major contributions to American life. However, it focuses on the social, cultural, and economic circumstances that influenced Rosenwald's development. | [FULL TEXT]

Mays, Tony (2005).  Costing Distance Education and Open Learning in Sub-Saharan Africa  Open Learning, 20, 3. 

This article is based on a report of the same name emanating from research undertaken by a team of South African Institute for Distance Education (SAIDE) researchers for the Association for the Development of Education in Africa (ADEA) under the auspices of the Commonwealth of Learning (COL) during 2003. The article explores the importance of costing distance education and open learning (DEOL) in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA); describes the research process and research findings; and provides conclusions and recommendations.

McAtee, Atticia B.; Benshoff, James M. (2006).  Rural Dislocated Women in Career Transition: The Importance of Supports and Strategies  Community College Journal of Research & Practice, 30, 9. 

Job loss researchers have focused on the physical and mental well being of White working and middle class men, their families, friends, and coworkers to with immediate reemployment as the outcome. This study focused on low-income rural women dislocated workers and their decision to enroll in community college for retraining or seek immediate reemployment. Participants were 125 women (86 white, 39 African American; x=42 years) who held a high school diploma or GED and who were laid off from manufacturing jobs within the last 2 years. Differences between two groups of women based on demographic variables and Transition Guide and Questionnaire-Modified (TGQ-M) scores were examined. The TGQ-M was developed to assess an individual's ability to cope with life transitions, based on Schlossberg's (1995) model of 4Ss (situation, self, supports, and strategies). One group enrolled in community college for retraining while the other group sought immediate reemployment. Findings revealed significant relationships between level of education and race/ethnicity and community college retraining. African-American women in this sample perceived themselves as having less support in coping with job loss. Women who chose community college had higher TGQ-M scores overall. Race/ethnicity and perception of support from others were the best predictors of community college retraining. Women, especially older women of color, have the hardest time finding quality employment after layoff. This study raised questions about the reasons why fewer African-American women in this sample enrolled in community college for retraining and had lower Supports scores than white women. Implications for counseling and future research are discussed.

McAuley, William J.; Spector, William; Van Nostrand, Joan (2008).  Home Health Care Agency Staffing Patterns before and after the Balanced Budget Act of 1997, by Rural and Urban Location  Journal of Rural Health, 24, 1. 

Context: The Balanced Budget Act (BBA) of 1997 and other recent policies have led to reduced Medicare funding for home health agencies (HHAs) and visits per beneficiary. Purpose: We examine the staffing characteristics of stable Medicare-certified HHAs across rural and urban counties from 1996 to 2002, a period encompassing the changes associated with the BBA and related policies. Methods: Data were drawn from Medicare Provider of Service files and the Area Resource File. The unit of analysis was the 3,126 counties in the United States, grouped into 5 categories: metropolitan, nonmetropolitan adjacent, and 3 nonmetropolitan nonadjacent groups identified by largest town size. Only relatively stable HHAs were included. We generated summary HHA staff statistics for each county group and year. Findings: All staff categories, other than therapists, declined from 1997 to 2002 across the metropolitan and nonmetropolitan county groupings. There were substantial population-adjusted decreases in stable HHA-based home health aides in all counties, including remote counties. Conclusions: The limited presence of stable HHA staff in certain nonmetropolitan county types has been exacerbated since implementation of the BBA, especially in the most rural counties. The loss of aides in more rural counties may limit the availability of home-based long-term care in these locations, where the need for long-term care is considerable. Future research should examine the degree to which the presence of HHA staff influences actual access and whether other paid and unpaid sources of care substitute for Medicare home health care in counties with limited supplies of HHA staff.

McCarthy, Jane; Benally, Joe (2003).  Classroom Management in a Navajo Middle School  Theory Into Practice, 42, 4. 

Classroom management presents a serious challenge in most schools, but especially in schools on a Navajo Reservation that have been traditionally academically low-performing schools. There appears to be a mismatch between the attitudes, skills, and behaviors Navajo children bring with them to school and the expectations schools have for their behavior. This becomes especially evident at the middle-school level as peer pressure reaches its zenith, often leading to off-task behavior that can impact instructional effectiveness and have long-term effects on student success in life. This article explores the cultural context of a Navajo middle school and the managerial interventions applied by faculty, staff, and administrators who employed a rigorous inquiry process to identify the specific challenges before jumping to solutions.

McClennen, Nate (2004).  Soil, Weeds, and Computers  Science Teacher, 71, 5. 

Events in a community can lead to valuable learning experiences in science. By the end of the summer of 2001, the Green Knoll Fire had burned almost 4000 acres of forest south of Wilson, Wyoming. This article describes how students at the Journeys School of Teton Science Schools participated in a collaborative project with the United States Forest Service (USFS) and Teton County Weed and Pest to investigate the effects of the fire on noxious weed growth and soil chemistry. Students broke into three groups. Each group measured nitrate, phosphorous, and pH levels, identified weed presence, recorded the depth of the hydrophobic layer, and used a Global Positioning System receiver to record the size and outline of the burn. Students created reports for the USFS that included a summary of findings and a map produced by Geographic Information System software.

McClure, Carla; Reeves, Cynthia (2004).  Rural Teacher Recruitment and Retention Review of the Research and Practice Literature  [AEL] 

This report constitutes the first part of the project undertaken by the National Association of State Boards of Education (NASBE) and AEL, to investigate strategies for the recruitment and retention of teachers in rural schools. The "highly qualified teacher" requirement of the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 has spotlighted the urgency and importance of recruiting and retaining highly qualified teachers. Rural schools and districts are at a disadvantage in recruiting teachers due to: (1) lower pay; (2) geographic and social isolation; (3) difficult working conditions, such as having to teach classes in multiple subject areas; and (4) scarcity of professional development opportunities. The literature indicates that effective rural recruitment and retention practices share four characteristics: They are: (1) strategic;(2) specific to the schools or subject areas that are hard to staff; (3) sustained; and (4) rooted in the community. Thirteen specific strategies are suggested. | [FULL TEXT]

McClure, Phyllis (2005).  Where Standards Come From  Theory Into Practice, 44, 1. 

The standards movement arose from the struggle for equal educational opportunity in American public education. Beginning with the seemingly simple task of defining an adequate education in student content standards, reform graduated to setting professional requirements for teachers and paraprofessionals and for professional inservice training. Overcoming the racial and economic inequities embedded in the structure of public schools has resulted in shifting the locus of control and funding from local school systems to states. Federal involvement in standards-based reform has, in some cases, pushed states even further to include once-excluded disabled and limited-English proficient students and to set achievement targets in reading and mathematics. Standards-based reform has brought some coherence to education at the elementary and middle school grades. Systemic reform really hasn't taken hold at the high school level.

McColl, Ann; Malhoit, Gregory C. (2004).  Rural School Facilities: State Policies that Provide Students with an Environment to Promote Learning. Policy Brief  [Rural School and Community Trust] 

Every state in the nation is currently charting a course to improve its public education system. As states raise education standards and invest in programs to improve student achievement, there are a number of reasons why it is essential that states consider the school facility needs of rural schools. This report is intended to assist state policymakers, educators, and community members in identifying critical school facility issues and crafting state policies that meet the needs of all students, especially rural students. A number of policy approaches are suggested that can help ensure that the educational needs of students, especially students living in rural areas, are addressed and met. The recommendations draw on state experiences--both good and bad. Appendix A provides a set of "Guiding Principles" that summarize overarching themes that should be part of a fair and effective state school facilities program. A "State School Facilities Policy Checklist" is included in Appendix B as a simple tool for evaluating a state school facilities program. Appendix C lists other sources of information and resources about facility policies, funding, and rural school facilities. | [FULL TEXT]

McCray, Carlos R.; Wright, James V.; Beachum, Floyd D. (2004).  An Analysis of Secondary School Principals' Perceptions of Multicultural Education.  Education, 125, 1. 

The purpose of this study was to investigate secondary school principals' perceptions of multicultural education. This survey research study used a four point Likert-type scale instrument. It sought to determine how such independent variables as school and community characteristics i.e., whether the school was located in an urban, suburban, or rural community; the socioeconomic status of the school, the school size; and the racial-make-up of the school affect principals' perceptions of multicultural education. Three hundred and two secondary school principals in a designated southeastern state were targeted for this particular study, with a return rate of forty-one percent. The results of this study showed that the principals of smaller schools tended to have a more negative perception of multicultural education. The smaller schools in the state were generally located in rural communities, served lower socioeconomic communities, and employed principals with lower levels of educational attainment than the larger schools. All of these factors were significantly related to more negative principals' perceptions of multicultural education.With the increasing amount of diversity taking place in our nation, as well as our schools, the inquiry has to be made as to whether educators are taking the browning of America seriously. It is the school principal who sets the tone of the school culture and provides the proper vision as to the direction of the institution. Therefore, the purpose of this study is to examine the perceptions of secondary school principals in a southeastern state concerning multicultural education. A total number of 302 secondary school principals were asked to respond to a survey to determine whether they had any negative perceptions of multicultural education. The researchers wanted to determine whether any negative feelings of multicultural education among these secondary school principals existed as it relates to their respective school and community characteristics i.e., whether the school was located in an urban, suburban, or rural community; the socioeconomic status of the school; the school size; and the racial-make-up of the school. The researchers determined that there were indeed some negative perceptions that existed among these sec- ondary school principals as it related to the school characteristics. As a result of this researach, this study will allow academician as well as practitioners to better understand how issues such as multicultural education and diversity are being viewed by school leaders.

McCullough, Page; Johnson, Jerry (2007).  Quality Teachers: Issues, Challenges, and Solutions for North Carolina's Most Overlooked Rural Communities  [Rural School and Community Trust] 

This report describes, on a number of measures, the challenges facing low-wealth rural school districts in eastern North Carolina as they relate to issues of teacher quality and ensuring that students have a good teacher in each classroom. It describes five strategies that are being used in rural areas throughout the country to respond to these challenges, and specifically what North Carolina is doing around each strategy, including: growing your own; targeting incentives; improving recruiting and hiring practices; improving school level support for teachers; and using technology. In the last part of the report, the authors recommend local and state level activities for each of the five strategies, and add three recommendations that, based on their experience in North Carolina and in other rural states, would help address the pressing issue of providing all children in North Carolina the teachers they deserve.  [This is a publication of the Policy Program of the Rural School and Community Trust on behalf of the North Carolina Rural Education Working Group.] | [FULL TEXT]

McEwan, Patrick J.; Trowbridge, Marisol (2007).  The Achievement of Indigenous Students in Guatemalan Primary Schools  International Journal of Educational Development, 27, 1. 

This paper analyses the difference in academic achievement between indigenous and nonindigenous children that attend rural primary schools in Guatemala. The gap ranges between 0.8 and 1 standard deviation in Spanish, and approximately half that in Mathematics. A decomposition procedure suggests that a relatively small portion of the achievement gap is explained by differences in the socioeconomic status of indigenous and nonindigenous families. Other results are consistent with the notion that school attributes play an important role in explaining the achievement gap. The paper discusses several explanations--such as the lack of bilingual education--that are consistent with the empirical findings.

McGeachy, Liz (2003).  Creating It Yourself: Appalshop's Appalachian Media Institute.  Now & Then, 20, 1. 

A summer program in Whitesburg, Kentucky teaches local youths video and audio production, then sends them into the community to produce documentaries. The program teaches marketable skills and helps participants view their community in a positive light and become active, contributing members. The program's success has spawned an after-school program for students aged 14-21.

McHale, Tom (2007).  One-to-One in Alaska: In the Remote Alaskan Interior, Students are Reaping the Benefits of Laptop Computing  Technology & Learning, 27, 8. 

Each school, district, or state has a unique set of circumstances and obstacles to deal with in implementing a one-to-one laptop program. That is especially true of Denali Borough School District in Alaska. Located in the Alaskan interior, it encompasses Denali National Park (with North America's tallest mountain), covers more than 12,000 square miles (roughly the size of Maryland), and serves about 300 students in its three buildings. In 1991 the Alaska State Department of Education instituted standards-based learning, and in the last few years, Denali has implemented an Expeditionary Learning model in its schools. The remoteness of students, faculty, and school buildings is something Pete Vraspir, director of technology for the district, has to consider on a daily basis. The district's three K-12 school buildings--Cantwell, Anderson, and Tri-Valley--are about 40 miles apart. To serve students who cannot attend school in one of these buildings, the Denali Peak correspondence school was developed, which includes about 300 students. Students in this program, along with all students in grades 6-12, are issued a laptop. Denali uses Apple as a vendor, with students currently using iBooks and PowerBooks; MacBooks will be rolled out next year. Vraspir says the one-to-one program really addresses their ability to help their kids get information that they might not have normally been exposed to. Denali looks to continue its program and move even further away from printed material and toward digital assignments and portfolios.

McIntyre, Alice; Chatzopoulos, Nikolaos; Politi, Anastasia; Roz, Julieta (2007).  Participatory Action Research: Collective Reflections on Gender, Culture, and Language  Teaching and Teacher Education: An International Journal of Research and Studies, 23, 5. 

The focus of this article is the experiences of three undergraduate students who engaged in a participatory action research (PAR) project with a group of preadolescent Latina girls attending a public school in Boston, MA, USA. The aim of the 2-year project was to explore how the girls constructed knowledge about girlhood and other gender-related issues. In this article, I (Alice) briefly describe the PAR project. The remaining sections focus on the research team's reflections. Julieta, a native of Romania, discusses how her life experiences growing up in Romania during the Communist regime helped her to identify with some of the girls' life experiences. Anastasia, who was born and raised in Greece, describes how dialogue, a basic tenet of PAR, assisted her in developing collaborative relationships of trust with the research participants. In the third section, Nikos, who is also a native of Greece, describes how participating in a collaborative process with a group of girls from a dramatically different background than his own challenged him to reflect on his maleness, his ethnic beliefs, and his assumptions about public education in the US. The last section states the importance of teacher educators pursuing PAR-type experiences with college-aged students. The team's reflections offer insights into how engaging in participatory experiences with school-aged students can provide rich, informative, and effective opportunities for non-United Statesian students to gain a better understanding of the many issues related to public education in the US.

McIntyre, Ellen; Kyle, Diane W.; Moore, Gayle H. (2006).  A Primary-Grade Teacher's Guidance toward Small-Group Dialogue  Reading Research Quarterly, 41, 1. 

The purpose of this study was to describe how one primary teacher of poor and working class rural students promoted small-group dialogue about books and literary concepts. Specifically, we focused on how she guided the students from the beginning of a lesson in ways that later led to dialogue during a videotaped four-day lesson sequence. We analyzed interactions of teacher-student talk during the sequence that involved reading, talking about, and responding to mysteries. Coding involved labeling "indicators" of instructional conversation outlined by Dalton (1997), coding other features of dialogue derived from theory, such as use of encouragement and pace for purposes of increasing thinking, and coding what we called "democratic supports," such as providing opportunities for student decision making. Findings contribute to the field's growing literature on classroom dialogue in primary-grade classrooms in three ways. First, teacher-fronted talk and true dialogue are not mutually exclusive; the former can be used to achieve the other. The teacher highlighted in this study, Gayle, purposefully used heavy teacher-fronted discourse, emphasizing telling, defining, and modeling at the beginnings of her lessons, which appeared to be critical to students' eventual participation. Secondly, additional instructional patterns not often illustrated in the literature on dialogue in the classroom, such as nonevaluative responses, encouragement rather than praise, examples and suggestions, and linguistic and paralinguistic cues such as pacing of talk and hand gestures, all appeared to assist students' participation. The teacher moved from careful, planned mediated action to spontaneous, genuine responses within the dialogic episodes. Finally, this study confirms other studies which suggest that classroom culture, characterized by a problem-solving environment, student decision making, student choice, collaborative work, and product-driven work, affects students' participation and subsequent construction of meaning during small-group dialogue. The following are appended: (1) Codes; and (2) Symbols for Reading Transcriptions.

McJunkin, Kyle Stewart (2005).  Rural Community Colleges: An Overview of the Issues. UCLA Community College Bibliography  Community College Journal of Research and Practice, 29, 5. 

In many rural areas, community colleges are the institutions primarily responsible for providing postsecondary educational opportunities. As a result, they are tasked with the challenging responsibility of expanding those opportunities, training a rural workforce, and building a healthy and inclusive community. Like their urban and suburban counterparts, rural community colleges often encounter the same problems of over enrollment or face the same challenges of meeting the educational needs of a multi-ethnic, multi-cultural, and multi-lingual student population. Additionally, rural community colleges often must contend with chronic under-funding as well as the constant task of helping rural students overcome the barriers of distance and technology. From the rural community college perspective, the educational responsibilities and challenges may seem overwhelming at times. The citations in this annotated bibliography address many of the issues that face rural community colleges. Specifically, the material addresses the topics of student demographics, leadership and organizational culture, the "digital divide," as well as the results from the Rural Community College Initiative. For the community college administrator, who may serve some of the 2 million students studying in rural community colleges, the following articles are an ideal starting point for further personalized research.

McKenzie, David; Rapoport, Hillel (2006).  Can Migration Reduce Educational Attainment? Evidence from Mexico. Policy Research Working Paper Series. WPS3952  [World Bank Publications] 

This paper examines the impact of migration on educational attainment in rural Mexico. Using historical migration rates by state to instrument for current migration, we find evidence of a significant negative effect of migration on schooling attendance and attainment of 12 to 18 year-old boys and 16 to 18 year-old girls. IV-Censored Ordered Probit results show that living in a migrant household lowers the chances of boys completing junior high school and of boys and girls completing high school. The negative effect of migration on schooling is somewhat mitigated for younger girls with low educated mothers, which is consistent with remittances relaxing credit constraints on education investment for the very poor. However, for the majority of rural Mexican children, family migration depresses educational attainment. Comparison of the marginal effects of migration on school attendance and on participation in other activities shows that the observed decrease in schooling of 16 to 18 year-olds is accounted for by the current migration of boys and increased housework for girls.

McKeown, Eamonn (2006).  Modernity, Prestige, and Self-Promotion: Literacy in a Papua New Guinean Community  Anthropology and Education Quarterly, 37, 4. 

In this article, I examine patterns of literacy use in the daily life a rural community in the Papua New Guinea highlands. It is demonstrated that many of these practices do not correspond to the ways in which agencies responsible for imparting literacy, particularly the local school, intend. Instead, village concepts of prestige, chance, and reciprocity are influential in shaping literacy practices, and the uses are governed by local associations and preoccupations with modernity.

McKinley, Sandra K. (2005).  The Journey to Adequacy: The "DeRolph" Saga. Part II  Journal of Education Finance, 30, 4. 

The fight over school funding in most states involves a long battle in the courts that may span several years and never have a definitive endpoint because resistance to adequate funding of public schools appears to be endemic to government processes. The "DeRolph" case, first filed by the plaintiffs in December 1991, is one such legal battle over school funding in Ohio and has proved to be no exception to the evolutionary scenario except that it has continued even longer and been characterized by greater animosity. Officially, on December 11, 2002, the Ohio Supreme Court declared for the fourth time ("DeRolph IV") that the school funding system is unconstitutional and in need of a complete systematic overhaul in order to comply with the "thorough and efficient" clause of the Ohio Constitution (article VI, section 2). However, the court did not retain jurisdiction in "DeRolph IV" and in March 2003 granted a writ of prohibition to the state that impeded any court in the state from pursuing the implementation of a remedy. A remedy in accordance with "DeRolph I" and "II" required that Ohio's public school children receive from the state an adequate education or one of high quality. In this article, the author continues to chronicle the history of "DeRolph" which began with "The Journey to Adequacy: The "DeRolph" Saga. Part I" in the Winter 2005 (Volume 30, Number 3) issue of the "Journal of Education Finance" (see EJ720565). This article addresses the following: (1) The Interval Between "DeRolph I" and "DeRolph II"; (2) "DeRolph II," Judge Lewis, and the Appeal to the Ohio Supreme Court; (3) The Political Divisions Created by "DeRolph"; (4) Attempt to Define Adequate Education; (5) The General Assembly's Modification of the School Funding Formula and "DeRolph III"; (6) Interval Between "DeRolph II and IV"; (7) Aftermath of "DeRolph IV"; (8) The Ohio Supreme Court and "DeRolph V"; (9) Aftermath of "DeRolph V"; (10) Need for Clarification of Adequacy; (11) Politics of Ohio State Supreme Court Races; and (12) Conclusion.

McLaughlin, Colleen; Black-Hawkins, Kristine (2007).  School-University Partnerships for Educational Research--Distinctions, Dilemmas and Challenges  Curriculum Journal, 18, 3. 

This article examines partnerships between universities and schools that focus on the generation of educational knowledge through practitioner research and enquiry. It draws on a seven-year study of a partnership between the Faculty of Education, University of Cambridge and a group of eight secondary schools. The article explores what has been learned about such partnerships, including the benefits and challenges arising from some fundamental differences between the nature of schools and universities as organizations and the roles and perspectives of teachers and academics within them. It considers different understandings of the notion of knowledge generation, including which forms of knowledge are valued and found to be useful. Conditions, structures and organizational arrangements that are necessary to support such research within school-university partnerships are discussed.

McLaughlin, H. James (2002).  Schooling in Mexico: A Brief Guide for U.S. Educators. ERIC Digest. 

Teachers in U.S. schools affected by Mexican immigration need to understand immigrants' prior school experiences when planning lessons and delivering instruction. Mexico requires education through grade 9 and has nearly reached its goal of providing facilities for all school-age children. There are vast differences between rural and urban educational experiences, and grade repetition and dropout rates are high. Rural communities, especially those of Indigenous people where Spanish is a second language, have high rates of poverty, and children often drop out to work. The grading scale in Mexico is commonly 1-10, and examinations are given 5 times a year, with a national examination at the end of the school year. Tests must cover the national curriculum. Practical notes for teachers in the United States cover Mexican schools' lack of ability grouping, greater focus on art, shorter school days, and more informal classroom life. Three resources are given for connecting Mexican and American educators and creating innovative professional development experiences. | [FULL TEXT]

McLaughlin, H. James; Bryan, Lynn A. (2003).  Learning from Rural Mexican Schools about Commitment and Work  Theory Into Practice, 42, 4. 

During the last 3 years we have made many visits to two rural Mexican primary schools. As a result of our experiences there, we believe that students' sense of responsibility in a school setting depends on the nature of the commitments they make and the work they do in and for the school. We have also learned that certain educational and social concepts expressed in Spanish can enrich our thinking about the social curriculum that teachers and students create in classrooms. In this article we explore the idea of students' "social work" by explaining what we are learning in these Mexican schools and providing examples from selected writings about life in U.S. classrooms.

McLaughlin, John; Rodriguez, Maria; Madden, Carolyn (2008).  University and Community Collaborations in Migrant ESL  New Directions for Adult and Continuing Education, 2008, 117. 

Migrant English as a Second Language (ESL) has been an important form of rural adult education in the United States for decades. This chapter provides a national and historical overview of rural and migrant ESL. The educational needs of the growing population of seasonal, migrant agricultural workers are discussed and situated in relation to the growth of adult education, literacy education, and ESL as professions in the United States. Then, the majority of this chapter describes and evaluates a migrant farmworker outreach and education program created at the University of Michigan at Ann Arbor and brought to migrant camps in Lenawee County in rural southeastern Michigan. This program, now in its tenth year, has had an important impact on both the university community and the Lenawee County organizations that serve the migrant farmworker populations there. The authors offer this account as a model for mutually beneficial collaboration among several groups of stakeholders who have provided migrant ESL and bilingual health and safety education to adults in rural areas in an era of continuing budget cuts for both adult education and migrant education.

McLaughlin, Margaret M. (2002).  Community Mobilization for Girls Enrollment in Educational Settings: Triggers of Change Paradigm. 

The benefits of girls' education include increased family incomes, later marriages, reduced fertility rates, reduced infant and maternal mortality rates, better nourished families, and greater opportunities for women. However, ingrained attitudes towards women are difficult to change. Only when communities believe that the benefits of girls in school outweigh the perceived deficits will they allow girls to attend school. A Save the Children program in a rural district of Uganda was successful in establishing primary schooling and enrolling girls because it mobilized community support. The first step taken was to engage community members in a participatory assessment of behavioral and attitudinal change. Attitudes toward the change--establishment of primary education and enrollment of girls--were determined first. Then, characteristics of the change were discussed and defined. In this case, the community wanted one school building, located within 3-5 kilometers, managed by a community-based school management committee, following local curricula taught in a local language. Next, contextual support was determined. The incentives for enrolling girls were enumerated by parents who valued education. These incentives were then used to change the attitudes and behaviors of parents not yet convinced to support girls' education. Finally, a discussion of resources determined what resources were needed and available, and how gaps in resource availability might be addressed. Four figures depict the change paradigm used in this project. | [FULL TEXT]

McLeman, Robert (2006).  Migration out of 1930s Rural Eastern Oklahoma: Insights for Climate Change Research  Great Plains Quarterly, 26, 1. 

The question of how communities and individuals adapt to changing climatic conditions is of pressing concern to scientists and policymakers in light of the growing evidence that human activity has modified the Earth's climate. A number of authors have suggested that widespread changes in human settlement and migration patterns may occur in response to the future impacts of human-induced climate change, such as sea level change, changes in agricultural yields, and increasing frequency and intensity of extreme weather events. The author investigated how rural populations responded to a period of adverse climatic conditions in rural eastern Oklahoma during the height of the Dust Bowl in the 1930s, with particular interest in those households that adapted by migrating to rural California.

McLester, Susan (2005).  Tackling Human Rights  Technology & Learning, 25, 7. 

In 2003, four high school students from the Tashkent International School in the capital city confronted the issue of their nation's human rights problems head on by researching the topic and publishing their findings on the Web. The site, "Uzbekistan: Opaque Reality," was created as an entry for the non-profit Global SchoolNet's Doors to Diplomacy student competition. In this article, this student-created Web site is described.

McNeil, Michele (2006).  Stakes High for States in Fall Votes  Education Week, 26 n3 p1, 30 Sep 2006. 

This article reports how the stakes are getting higher for the various states as the 2006 state elections are approaching this fall. This article also discusses how the future of education policy will be heavily influenced by the votes cast in the November elections. Even with the heightened federal role under the No Child Left Behind Act, state lawmakers, governors, and state superintendents still are central in deciding how much money schools get, how to get well-qualified teachers into the classroom, and what students must do to graduate. It is at the state level where policies aimed at educational improvement--whether high-stakes testing, universal preschool, or new forms of school choice--are most often conceived, advanced, and duplicated. This article also explains why the success and failure of education ideas are hinged on who will be the elected governor.

McRobbie, Joan; Villegas, Malia (2004).  La Fronters: Challenges and Opportunities for Improving Education Along the U.S.- Mexico Border  [WestED] 

This report points out that over the past decade, largely as a result of the North American Free Trade Agreement, enormous growth has characterized the border economy on both the U.S. and Mexican sides. With job creation came a population surge. The boom has occurred without planning, however. It has led to jobs but not prosperity. Its results have included crises in housing and health care, a water shortage, environmental degradation and a rise in environmental health concerns, and infrastructure challenges, such as insufficient roadway and power systems.

McSwan, David (2001).  A Whole Community Approach to Otitis Media--Reducing Its Incidence and Effects. Report. 

Otitis media (OM) is an inflammation of the middle ear that is prevalent in childhood. OM can result in hearing loss, which interferes with learning. In Australia, indigenous children experience OM more often than other populations. Because teachers lack knowledge of OM and its effects on learning, affected children are often mislabeled as problem children and referred to behavior management programs. Medical and health professionals have little contact with educators and are often unaware of learning difficulties. The high turnover of rural health care and education personnel exacerbates the problems. An integrated intervention program was developed to reduce the effects of OM on the learning of Aboriginal children in Queensland. Research conducted in three remote Aboriginal communities in north Queensland yielded the following recommendations: transience at both professional and community levels must be addressed by strategies to maintain awareness of those involved in interventions at the local level; resources need to be more widely available, and users of resources must be skilled in their use; an inclusive approach is urgently needed and should be facilitated by an external agent; and communication is an essential component to reinforce the inclusive approach and validate its success. An appendix describes the resource kit of books, pamphlets, newsletters, posters, and other materials to raise community awareness of OM. | [FULL TEXT]

McSwan, David (2001).  School at the Centre (SatC): A Pilot Project in North Queensland. Report One: Completion of Phase One, the US Visit and Visits to Australian Schools. 

The School at the Centre pilot project in Queensland, Australia, seeks to assess the transferability to Queensland of the philosophy and practice of the Nebraska-developed School at the Center program. The pilot project consists of three phases: information gathering, planning, and implementation and evaluation. This report covers work done during phase one. The School at the Center program focuses on rural place, and its philosophy is characterized by two core statements: 20 percent of the curriculum should reflect place, both the immediate locality and the broader rural milieu; and this curriculum should make a contribution to the local community. During reciprocal visits by Australian and American personnel to Nebraska and Queensland rural schools and communities, it was noted that rural areas in both countries were in decline and had educational programs that discounted rural place in the curriculum. Numerous examples from the Nebraska program confirmed that meaningful activities stemming from locality can be embedded into curricula, and that when a school contributes to its community, the community will reciprocate and profit. Overall, it was felt that the Nebraska program was transferable to Queensland. Two chapters discuss an American perspective on the School at the Centre program and steps involved in implementing phase 2 of the program. Twelve appendices present bibliographic resources, project letters, and data gathered in phase 1. | [FULL TEXT]

Meador, Elizabeth (2005).  The Making of Marginality: Schooling for Mexican Immigrant Girls in the Rural Southwest  Anthropology and Education Quarterly, 36, 2. 

As Mexican immigrants move from urban centers to rural, mountainous regions of the U.S. Southwest, their children are often measured by mainstream middle-class cultural ideals that value athleticism, extroversion, and English language proficiency. Based on a year-long ethnographic study undertaken in 1998-1999, this article explores how newly immigrated adolescent girls negotiated the sociocultural context of middle school in light of teachers' taken-for-granted beliefs about Mexicanas. The theoretical lens focuses on cultural practices that define the "good student" at schools in which knowledge is differentially distributed in a dialectical interaction between the social organization of the schools and students' creative agency. This analysis critiques the cultural production of the good student and suggests implications for educational practice and policy.

Meadows, William C. (2006).  Black Goose's Map of the Kiowa-Comanche-Apache Reservation in Oklahoma Territory  Great Plains Quarterly, 26, 4. 

Plains Indian cultures have left numerous forms of Native drawings in the form of painted and drawn clothing, robes, tipis and tipi liners, shields and shield covers, calendars, ledger books, religious and historical drawings, and maps. Native drawings of geographic features are distinguished from other forms of drawings by their focus on the concept of territory rather than on occasional individual features such as a hill or river. Native maps predate European contact and are recorded for every major region of North America. Although most extant Native maps are from the Plains and Arctic regions and date to the nineteenth century, others range from 1540 to 1869. Nearly every major North American explorer through the late nineteenth century used geographic information and/or maps obtained from Native inhabitants of their respective areas.

Meckstroth, Alicia; Burwick, Andrew; Ponza, Michael; Marsh, Shawn; Novak, Tim; Phillips, Shannon; Diaz-Tena, Nuria; Ng, Judy (2006).  Paths to Work in Rural Places: Key Findings and Lessons from the Impact Evaluation of the Future Steps Rural Welfare-to-Work Program. Final Report  [Mathematica Policy Research, Inc.] 

Helping low-income families in rural areas find gainful employment and achieve economic self-sufficiency is an ongoing policy concern. The Rural Welfare-to-Work Strategies demonstration is using rigorous experimental designs to build knowledge about how to help low-income families in rural areas strive toward sustained employment and self-sufficiency. This report examines an employment-focused case management initiative deployed in southern Illinois. Despite a lack of impacts on employment, earnings, and self-sufficiency, the findings imply a need for stronger interventions in rural areas and demonstrate the challenges inherent in designing, implementing, and evaluating programs in these types of settings. The following are appended: (1) Survey Data Collection and Weighting Methods; (2) Additional Cost Study Analysis: Costs by Program Component; and (3) Supplemental Figures and Tables.  | [FULL TEXT]

Meehan, Merrill L.; Cowley, Kimberly S.; Whittaker, Denise (2001).  Evaluating the Use of Student and Parent GEAR UP Survey Summaries in a Rural, Nine-County Region. 

In 1999, Fairmont State College (West Virginia) received a Gaining Early Awareness and Readiness for Undergraduate Programs (GEAR UP) grant for a 5-year program designed to encourage college aspirations and preparation among disadvantaged rural youth. During the first 2 years, parents and students in nine counties were surveyed to determine their aspirations for postsecondary education. Data summaries from these surveys were distributed to school administrators involved with the program. This paper reports on a survey of those administrators to determine how the data summaries were used, possible effects of the data, and suggestions for improvement. Findings indicate that those administrators who used the summaries were satisfied with them. Of the seven rating characteristics,"overall quality,""comprehensiveness," and "presentation/layout" were rated highest, followed by "relevance,""met my needs," and "usability.""Promptness" was rated lowest, although that rating was well above the midpoint on the rating scale. Summary findings were used as input for specific programs, needs assessment or program planning, and less specific programs. It is too early for the data summaries to have affected students in the program. The main influence of the summaries on parents was in making them more aware of the GEAR UP program. An appendix presents a sample data summary. | [FULL TEXT]

Meehan, Merrill L.; Cowley, Kimberly S.; Wilson, Robert A.; Wilson, Nancy M. (2005).  Rural Seventh Graders' Academic Performance and Post-High School Education Plans: Major Factors Derived from Survey Data  [Appalachia Educational Laboratory at Edvantia] 

The purpose of this study was to listen to rural students' voices about their present schoolwork and educational plans for the future and discern, via factor analyzing their survey responses, what they view as the most important factors in their academic performance and post-high school plans. The first objective was to access the 2001-2002, 2002-2003, and 2003-2004 school year data from AEL's work with Fairmont State and the West Virginia Department of Education on their respective Gaining Early Awareness and Readiness for Undergraduate Programs (GEARUP) grants. AEL staff conducts baseline surveys of seventh graders and their parents for both five-year grants concerning their awareness of, interest in, and aspirations for students' postsecondary education. The second objective was to inspect these rural seventh grade student survey items and break them down into variables for exploratory factor analyses. The third objective was to conduct the exploratory factor analyses on the aggregated data file to determine the best solution of factors emerging from the data. The fourth and final objective was to study the factors emerging from the factor analyses, name the factors, and discuss their potential for future research/study. Appended is: Fairmont State College: GEAR UP Partnership Grant; 2003-2004 7th Grade Student Survey. [This report was also produced by Marshall University Graduate College Charleston, West Virginia. This document was produced by the Appalachia Educational Laboratory at Edvantia, formerly the Appalachian Educational Laboratory (AEL, Inc.).] | [FULL TEXT]

Meert, H.; Van Huylenbroeck, G.; Vernimmen, T.; Bourgeois, M.; van Hecke, E. (2005).  Farm Household Survival Strategies and Diversification on Marginal Farms  Journal of Rural Studies, 21, 1. 

On marginal farms, and in agriculture in general, sustainability is largely guaranteed by a broad range of survival strategies, closely interlinked and embedded in the household structure of typical family farms. This paper reports results of a socio-economic study carried out among Belgian farmers, focusing specifically on the opportunities offered by different forms of diversification. Analyses from in-depth interviews indicate the possible role of new activities in the survival of many farms. The curative potential of this strategy is, however, strongly conditioned by the availability of capital within the household. Therefore, off-farm employment is often the most accessible strategy, not only for the survival of the household, but also for supplementing the income necessary to maintain the farm activities.

Mei Hu, Hsou; Duncan, R. Paul; Radcliff, Tiffany A.; Porter, Colleen K.; Hall, Allyson G. (2006).  Variations in Health Insurance Coverage for Rural and Urban Nonelderly Adult Residents of Florida, Indiana, and Kansas  Journal of Rural Health, 22, 2. 

Context: Evidence exists for differences in health insurance coverage among states, but less is known about variations across different kinds of communities within states. Purpose: This article assesses the role of residential setting (metropolitan county, rural adjacent, and rural nonadjacent) in health insurance coverage for adult residents, under age 65, using data from large-scale surveys collected in 3 diverse states (Florida, Indiana, and Kansas). Methods: Descriptive statistics are provided, and logistic regression models are used to examine the relationship between uninsurance status and residential settings while controlling for personal characteristics. Adjusted uninsurance rates by residential settings are presented for each state. Findings: Residential settings are significantly associated with uninsurance status in 2 of the 3 states we examined. We find that adult Floridians of rural adjacent counties are more likely to be uninsured than those in urban counties, but, for Indiana residents, uninsurance status is comparable between urban and rural adjacent residents. Rural nonadjacent Indiana residents are more likely to be uninsured compared to those in urban counties. The insurance status of adult Kansans does not vary across residential settings. Conclusion: Residential settings are significantly associated with being uninsured, but the significance of this link between residential locations and uninsurance status varies from state to state.

Meijering, Louise; van Hoven, Bettina; Huigen, Paulus (2007).  Constructing Ruralities: The Case of the Hobbitstee, Netherlands  Journal of Rural Studies, 23, 3. 

Rural intentional communities withdraw from mainstream urban space, rejecting its materialism and consumption. In creating their own places in the countryside, they produce new spaces of rurality. Constructions of rurality by intentional communities can be perceived as "out of place" by local populations. This article draws on a wider study on the life-course of intentional communities, i.e. processes of growth, persistence, transformation, decline, and disintegration. We focus on ruralities as social constructions, by discussing the example of the community of the Hobbitstee in its relation with its rural surroundings in the Netherlands. This is done through an analysis of the life course of the Hobbitstee since its establishment in 1969 onwards. The results show that relations between locals and community members are characterised by diversity and multiplicity. In general, their constructions of rurality gradually and partly developed from conflicting to converging.

Meischen, Deanna L.; Trexler, Cary J. (2003).  Rural Elementary Students' Understanding of Science and Agricultural Education Benchmarks Related to Meat and Livestock.  Journal of Agricultural Education, 44, 1. 

Seven fifth-graders developed concept maps depicting their knowledge of meat product development. Despite their rural background, they lacked understanding of agriculture concepts and had mixed knowledge of agricultural literacy benchmarks concerning food products. Their language did not reflect scientific terminology in the benchmarks.

Melecio, Ray; Hanley, Thomas J. (2002).  Identification and Recruitment of Migrant Students: Strategies and Resources. ERIC Digest. 

The federal Migrant Education Program aims to minimize the negative effects on migrant children and youth caused by constant mobility and interrupted schooling. A primary activity of the program involves considerable efforts to identify and recruit children eligible for services. However, finding migrant children is not an easy task. This digest provides an overview of how to develop a realistic and workable system for quickly finding and enrolling eligible students. The first step for the recruiter is to develop a picture of the region's agriculture, processing, and fishing industries and their use of migrant workers. Information sources include the Department of Agriculture, the state Department of Labor, Cooperative Extension programs, and other regulatory agencies. Next, development of a recruitment plan should consider input from those working with the migrant population and should include at least the following components: hiring recruiters who have qualities appropriate to this demanding job and, preferably, have the same language and culture as the families served; deploying recruiters strategically; building a recruitment network with local organizations and individuals; and keeping recruiters informed of all available program services. Training of recruiters should cover program eligibility, assessment of family needs, cultural practices and etiquette, recruiter safety, and program audits. | [FULL TEXT]

Mellor, Suzanne; Corrigan, Matthew (2004).  The Case for Change: A Review of Contemporary Research on Indigenous Education Outcomes  [Australian Council for Educational Research] 

This review calls for change. Over the last two decades, a plethora of government policies have been developed to improve the educational outcomes of Indigenous students. These policies have, as yet, failed to reduce significantly the gap between the educational achievements of Indigenous and non-Indigenous students in Australia. This review examines the research evidence underpinning current government policy. It reviews and analyses existing educational research into the precursors and concomitant factors that contribute to educational achievement for students generally and for Indigenous students in particular. The review argues that current policy in Indigenous education is not sufficiently supported by comprehensive and substantive research evidence, and argues that changes to both research methodologies and content should be made. The authors propose a national research agenda that systematically identifies and supports policy change directed at significantly improving the educational outcomes for all Indigenous students. Only then can Indigenous students become full citizens, able to fulfil their full potential.

Mellow, Muriel (2005).  The Work of Rural Professionals: Doing the Gemeinshaft-Gesellschaft Gavotte  Rural Sociology, 70, 1. 

This paper considers how rurality affects the work of professionals. Sociologists have paid little attention to possible rural-urban differences in work styles and no study exists which compares the rural experience of those in different professions. I review the literature describing the work of various rural professionals and examine interview data from rural clergy to see whether rural professionals differentiate their work from that of their urban peers. The comparison across occupations reveals several common concerns, including the need to do similar work with fewer resources, the necessity of adapting protocols and codes of conduct to rural settings, and the challenge of dealing with dual relationships. I argue that conventional standards of professional behavior reflect an urban bias and that rural life problematizes the notion of professionalism. Those who work in rural places are caught trying to dance between the "tunes" of gemeinschaft and gesellschaft society.

_____. (2005).  Mental Health and Family Life among Kindergarten Children in Rural Areas. Rural Early Childhood Brief, Number 3  [National Center for Rural Early Childhood Learning Initiatives - Mississippi State University Early Childhood Institute] 

This brief presents selected findings from a rural analysis of the Kindergarten Cohort of the Early Childhood Longitudinal Study (ECLS-K) by the National Center for Rural Early Childhood Learning Initiatives in collaboration with Child Trends. Comparisons of rural and non-rural young children in the baseline data of the Kindergarten Cohort of the Early Childhood Longitudinal Study, with breakdowns for ethnicity and family income, reveal that rural life is associated with some positive indicators for early childhood social-emotional development, such as beginning kindergarteners' social competence, neighborhood safety, and parental coping. Rural life appears to have no relationship to some indicators, such as internalizing and externalizing behavior problems and maternal depression. However, rural life is associated with some social-emotional risk factors, particularly negative parental discipline. Ethnic disparities within the rural subset of the ECLS-K tend to be similar to ethnic disparities in the non-rural subset. More analysis of these findings may suggest implications for enhanced parent support and education in rural communities.  [This brief was produced by the National Center for Rural Early Childhood Learning Initiatives, Mississippi State University.] | [FULL TEXT]

Menachemi, Nir; Burke, Darrell; Clawson, Art; Brooks, Robert G. (2005).  Information Technologies in Florida's Rural Hospitals: Does System Affiliation Matter?  Journal of Rural Health, 21, 3. 

Context: The recent explosive growth of information technology in hospitals promises to improve hospital and patient outcomes. Financial barriers may cause rural hospitals to lag in adoption of information technology, however, formal studies that examine rural hospital adoption of information technology are lacking. Purpose: To determine the extent to which rural Florida hospitals utilize clinical and other information technology applications, to identify related information technology issues and barriers, and to explore differences between stand-alone and system-affiliated hospitals. Methods: Chief information officers in rural Florida hospitals were surveyed from June 2003-October 2003. A comprehensive set of questions assessed hospital demographics, information technology priorities and barriers, clinical and other information technology systems, and staffing needs. Findings: In rural Florida, current information technology priorities included upgrading security on information technology systems to meet Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act requirements (53.6%), implementing technology to reduce medical errors and to promote patient safety (50.0%), and implementing wireless systems (46.4%). With respect to current information technology adoption, system-affiliated rural hospitals were statistically more likely than their stand-alone counterparts to have laboratory information systems (93% vs 39%), pharmacy (87% vs 46%), pharmacy dispensing (53% vs 8%), chart deficiency (60% vs 15%), and order communication results (60% vs 23%). Financial barriers to successful information technology implementation were noted by 69% of stand-alone and 20% of system-affiliated rural hospitals. Conclusions: Although top information technology priorities are similar for all rural hospitals examined, differences exist between system-affiliated and stand-alone hospitals in adoption of specific information technology applications and with barriers to information technology adoption.

Mencken, F. Carson; Tolbert, Charles M., II (2005).  Federal Public Investment Spending and Economic Development in Appalachia  Rural Sociology, 70, 4. 

This analysis examines the relationship between federal public investment spending and economic development in the special case of Appalachia. We propose that the effects of federal public investment spending on economic development operate indirectly through private capital accumulation. We use a spatial lag regression model to test our ideas for the 1980s and the 1990s. In the first step, we show that average federal public investment spending from 1983-1989 and 1993-1999 has net positive effects on measures of private capital accumulation in Appalachia. In the second step, we add three indicators of county economic development in 1989/1999 and find that earnings and non-farm employment growth during the respective decades predicts higher levels of economic development at the end of the decades. However, while federal public investment spending has positive effects on measures of private capital accumulation, it has no direct effect on measures of economic development.

Menlove, Ronda, Ed. (2003).  Rural Survival. Proceedings of the Annual Conference of the American Council on Rural Special Education (ACRES) (23rd, Salt Lake City, Utah, March 20-22, 2003). 

The American Council on Rural Special Education (ACRES) conference is the only national conference devoted entirely to rural special education issues; sessions encompass theoretical discussion, current research findings, and promising practices based on sound evidence. This proceedings contains 47 conference papers and poster presentations. Following an introduction and keynote address, the papers are arranged in eight strands covering at-risk students, collaborative education models, early childhood and early intervention, inservice education and training, preservice teacher education, technology, transition to work or postsecondary education, and other. The papers provide a rural perspective on various topics, including issues related to specific learning disabilities; discipline and behavior management; classroom inclusion practices; needs of rural caregivers of young children with disabilities; role and training of paraprofessionals in special education; autism and Asperger syndrome; recruitment and retention of rural special educators; development and delivery of online courses; descriptions and evaluations of various Web-based instructional strategies; teacher collaboration and teamwork; and collaboration between university departments of special education and rural schools. An author index is included. | [FULL TEXT]

Menlove, Ronda; Lignugaris-Kraft, Benjamin (2001).  University and School District Partners Go the Distance To "Grow" Special Education Teachers in Rural Communities. 

To combat the shortage and high turnover rate of rural special education teachers, Utah State University (USU) special education faculty members developed university-school district partnerships. The partnerships recruit and train local community members as certified mild/moderate special education teachers and supervise student participation in practica and student teaching experiences in remote rural sites. Distance education technology delivers training to preservice special education teachers in their local communities. Community adjunct university supervisors and cooperating teachers are trained by university faculty to supervise field-based practica courses. Supervisors are often district-level special educators who completed or are familiar with the USU program. Cooperating teachers, who are often graduates of the USU on-campus or distance education program, assist with supervision in partnership with the adjunct supervisors. Training is conducted on site, on campus, and via distance education technology. University and district supervisors and cooperating teachers also supervise students together using remote two-way audio/video teleconferencing technology. This allows on-campus and on-site supervisors to hear and see the remote site classroom at the same time. The amount and quality of feedback and training that students receive in remote sites is increased and mirrors that received by on-campus students. | [FULL TEXT]

Menlove, Ronda; Peterson, Darcie (2003).  Helping Rural Special Education Preservice Teachers Survive the Virtual Wilderness. 

Utah State University offers a mild/moderate special teacher preparation program via an Internet-based teleconferencing system, with extensive use of the Internet for delivering course materials, assignments, student feedback, and class projects. Students attend classes in eight remote sites, many of which are located in rural communities. Most students taking the course are mothers who are employed at least part-time. The average student age is 35. Throughout the program, these students need advising information and technical support to make the best use of their limited time and resources. The university has developed a model of student support and technical assistance that combines the use of technology for information delivery and face-to-face interactions with local site advisors or mentors. Two advising Web sites are used to support the distance education program--one targets student needs, the other is for advisors. Before beginning the program, students attend a workshop that trains them to access technology-delivered information, communicate with faculty, and complete and submit assignments electronically. Local site advisors help remote learners access university resources, attend classes with the students, and work with faculty to assist students with assignments. A distance education advisor advises students and coordinates the training and work of the site advisors. Program completion rates are greater than national rates for distance programs and are attributed to the extensive student support. | [FULL TEXT]

Menzies, Charles R.; Butler, Caroline F. (2007).  Returning to Selective Fishing through Indigenous Fisheries Knowledge: The Example of K'moda, Gitxaala Territory  American Indian Quarterly, 31, 3. 

The historical abundance of salmon along the west coast of North America has been significantly reduced during the last two centuries of industrial harvest. The life histories of many twentieth-century fisheries have been depressingly similar: initial coexistence with indigenous fisheries; emergence of large-scale industrial expansion followed by resource collapse; introduction of limited restrictions on fishing effort, which become increasingly severe, making it hard for fishing communities to survive and to reproduce themselves. Yet for nearly two millennia prior to the industrial extraction of salmon, indigenous peoples maintained active harvests of salmon, which are estimated to have been at or near median industrial harvests during the twentieth century. Part of the explanation for salmon stock collapses in the twentieth century resides in the different methodologies used by the indigenous and industrial fisheries. In this paper the authors argue that a reintroduction of ecologically appropriate traditional fishing gear is one path toward truly sustainable fisheries. They emphasize how these technologies are associated with particular forms of resource management that limit and disperse harvest pressure. This is accomplished by documenting the linkage between traditional fishing gear, local ecological knowledge, and contemporary conservation potentials. In developing this argument, they draw upon research conducted in collaboration with fishers and elders from the Gitxaala First Nation and in particular their concept of "syt guulm goot": "being of one heart." This concept underpins Gitxaala approaches to resources and how they should be used and shared. It is premised upon a community-based conception of resource use in which people and nonhumans share important reciprocal relationships of trust, respect, and--when things go wrong--retribution. In this article, the authors first outline the ethnographic context within which this research was conducted. The balance of the paper then describes the case study of customary fishing at K'modamowdah and the implications of traditional technology and ecological knowledge for contemporary resource management.

Messerli, Siroco; Abdykaparov, Maksat; Taylor, Peter (2006).  Vocational Education and Training for Woman Farmers in Kyrgyzstan: A Case Study of an Innovative Education Programme  Journal of Vocational Education and Training, 58, 4. 

This article outlines briefly the changing nature of agriculture in Kyrgyzstan, including post-Soviet era market reforms and land allocation. Women carry a major part of the load for economic sustainability of the family livelihood, and so need opportunities to generate income and develop new roles for themselves in a context of social and economic change. Farming provides women with growing economic and livelihood opportunities, but the existing national vocational education and training (VET) system does not address learning needs of women adequately. The government has been open, however, to initiatives that seek to promote alternative, innovative approaches to VET, especially those which may enhance possibilities for women. A group of rural VET schools, supported by the Agricultural and Rural Vocational Education Project of the Swiss non-governmental organisation Helvetas, has sought to develop a highly innovative, effective and cost-efficient approach to vocational education for woman farmers. The article explains the project's approach, and the process of developing this new form of VET in Kyrgyzstan. It highlights a number of achievements, challenges and lessons learned to date, which include the importance of offering a specialised curriculum for woman farmers, a high success rate for women in their student performance and completion, and issues relating to the ability of women students to apply their knowledge and skills in agriculture on leaving the school. The article ends with some conclusions on the value of this approach both within the Kyrgyz context and more widely.

Messinger, Lori (2004).  Comprehensive Community Initiatives: A Rural Perspective  Social Work, 49, 4. 

This article challenges the notion that the comprehensive community initiative (CCI) is a singularly urban intervention strategy by comparing a rural comprehensive initiative with the literature on urban CCIs. Characteristics of CCIs in urban settings are discussed and compared with Warren Family Institute (WFI), a demonstration project in rural North Carolina. Findings support the thesis that the CCI has been implemented and found effective in rural settings. The author presents a comparison of the common complications faced by urban CCIs with those encountered during the planning, implementation, and evaluation of WFI. Differences between these two CCIs were rooted in demographic, geographic, and sociohistoric distinctions between rural and urban settings. Substantial similarities were seen between rural and urban CCIs, which suggests the need to broaden the discussion on CCIs to include research on rural initiatives in the CCI literature.

Meyer, Deborah; Hamel-Lambert, Jane; Tice, Carolyn; Safran, Steven; Bolon, Douglas; Rose-Grippa, Kathleen (2005).  Recruiting and Retaining Mental Health Professionals to Rural Communities: An Interdisciplinary Course In Appalachia  Journal of Rural Health, 21, 1. 

Faculty from 5 disciplines (health administration, nursing, psychology, social work, and special education) collaborated to develop and teach a distance-learning course designed to encourage undergraduate and graduate students to seek mental health services employment in rural areas and to provide the skills, experience, and knowledge necessary for successful rural practice. The primary objectives of the course, developed after thorough review of the rural retention and recruitment literature, were to (1) enhance interdisciplinary team skills, (2) employ technology as a tool for mental health practitioners, and (3) enhance student understanding of Appalachian culture and rural mental health. Didactic instruction emphasized Appalachian culture, rural mental health, teamwork and communication, professional ethics, and technology. Students were introduced to videoconferencing, asynchronous and synchronous communication, and Internet search tools. Working in teams of 3 or 4, students grappled with professional and cultural issues plus team process as they worked through a hypothetical case of a sexually abused youngster. The course required participants to engage in a nontraditional manner by immersing students in Web-based teams. Student evaluations suggested that teaching facts or "content" about rural mental health and Appalachian culture was much easier than the "process" of using new technologies or working in teams. Given that the delivery of mental health care demands collaboration and teamwork and that rural practice relies increasingly more on the use of technology, our experience suggests that more team-based, technology-driven courses are needed to better prepare students for clinical practice.

Meyer, James A.; Mann, Mary Beth (2006).  Teachers' Perceptions of the Benefits of Home Visits for Early Elementary Children  Early Childhood Education Journal, 34, 1. 

The purpose of this study was to examine teachers' perceptions of the benefits of home visitation in relation to children's success in school from kindergarten to second grade. The participants were 26 early elementary (K-2) teachers in a rural, Midwestern school district. Participants completed a survey after a home visit at the beginning of school and again prior to the end of the year. Results of this descriptive study suggest that the benefit of home visits is a means of strengthening home school partnerships. Teachers perceive that home visits result in more positive relationships with children and their families. Further, the teachers believe that the visits lead to improved communication with the parents, better understanding of the child, and better understanding of the impact of the child's home environment as it relates to school performance.

Mfum-Mensah, Obed (2003).  Fostering Educational Participation in Pastoral Communities through Non-Formal Education: The Ghanaian Perspective  International Journal of Educational Development, 23, 6. 

This paper is an investigation of the impact of the Shepherd School Program, a non-formal basic education program implemented in seven pastoral communities in northern Ghana. The paper argues that non-formal basic education programs can have an important impact on the educational development of a community. However, for this to be possible, the context of such programs must answer to communities' social, cultural, economic and other immediate needs.

Mfum-Mensah, Obed (2005).  The Impact of Colonial and Postcolonial Ghanaian Language Policies on Vernacular Use in Schools in Two Northern Ghanaian Communities  Comparative Education, 41, 1. 

Many "alternative primary education" programmes operating in the developing parts of the world use children's first language as the medium of instruction. Programme sponsors often base their vernacular language policy on literature that highlights the cognitive and other benefits that accrue from using children's first languages as the medium of instruction during their early stages in school. Working within a postcolonial discursive framework the paper examines the attitudes of community members, parents, school authorities and schoolchildren toward the use of the vernacular as a medium of instruction in the Shepherd School Programme, an alternative primary education programme, that has been implemented to provide improved educational access for schoolchildren in seven rural northern Ghanaian agri-pastoral communities.

Michaelsen, Scott (2005).  Between Japanese American Internment and the USA PATRIOT Act: The Borderlands and the Permanent State of Racial Exception  Aztlan: A Journal of Chicano Studies, 30, 2. 

The general conversation today about the USA PATRIOT Act and its historical and legal significance must be contextualized with reference to a series of 1970s U.S. Supreme Court decisions regarding the U.S. Border Patrol that directly undergird the PATRIOT Act. The Supreme Court long ago turned the U.S. borderlands adjoining Mexico into a permanent racial camp, and the borderlands is the "home," as it were, of the permanent state of legal, racial exceptionalism. This problem must be theorized as structural in nature, rather than historical or contingent, in order to confront the matter of exceptional sovereignty at its constitutional foundations. Readings of the Supreme Court decisions regarding Japanese American internment and of Charles "Mills's Racial Contract" provide a context for the elaboration of this problem. A final reflection on Jose Antonio Burciaga's poem "Green Nightmares" suggests an idea for justice at the limit of sovereign authority that must be relentlessly exposed in order to begin to imagine a future deracialized polity.

Middleborg, Jorn (2005).  Highland Children's Education Project: A Pilot Project on Bilingual Education in Cambodia  [Online Submission] 

The report was produced by UNESCO in partnership with CARE International in Cambodia for the "Highland Children's Education Project" (HCEP) to show how bilingual primary education has been implemented among the Tampuen and Kreung ethnic minority groups in six remote villages in the northeastern province of Ratanakiri, Cambodia. Central to HCEP is the idea of "community schools" for primary education that the community is largely responsible for governing and managing. The pilot project in Ratanakiri, with the assistance from Ministry of Education, Youth and Sports (MoEYS) and local NGOs, was established to promote bilingual education and education in the mother tongue through local teacher training and adaptation of the national curriculum. There are many barriers to providing education to ethnic minorities in Ratanakiri, including communication between the central government and the village representative due to language differences. A survey confirms that there is still a strong negative attitude to girls' education that hinders education for all in the area. However, the ethnic minority groups are becoming aware of the economic potential that education can bring and are therefore increasingly willing to participate in education related activities. The community will continue to play an important role in highland children's education. Development of education policy, teacher training, funding, networking and technology will also help to improve education for ethnic minorities in remote areas.  [This document was published by UNESCO Asia and Pacific Regional Bureau for Education. Cover title varies.] | [FULL TEXT]

_____. (2006).  Migrant Education Program Annual Report: Eligibility, Participation, Services (2001-02) and Achievement (2002-03)  [US Department of Education] 

In addition to overcoming the obstacles of poverty, poor nutrition and a lack of health care, migrant children and youths in the United States face difficulties transferring records between schools, overcoming language and cultural barriers and succeeding in school despite social isolation. To respond to the needs of migrant children and youths, the Migrant Education Program (MEP) was authorized under Part C of Title I of the 1965 "Elementary and Secondary Education Act." The goal of the MEP is to ensure that all migrant students reach challenging academic standards and graduate with a high school diploma (or complete a GED) that prepares them for responsible citizenship, further learning, and productive employment. This report provides information from the Consolidated State Performance Report (CSPR) about migrant children and youths who were eligible and who participated in MEP-funded services during 2001-02. It also provides comparison data from schools years 1998-99 through 2000-01. Finally, it discusses the academic achievement of migrant students in 2002-03 (the most recent year for which data is available).  [This report was prepared for the U.S. Department of Education's Policy and Program Studies Service by Aguirre International.] | [FULL TEXT]

Mikheev, P. A. (2006).  The Dynamics of the Life Values of Rural Youth  Russian Education & Society, 48, 2. 

What kind of impact have the last decade's radical changes in types of economic systems, property ownership, and opportunities for employment had on the rural youth of Russia? This paper examines this topic by presenting a survey of upper-grade students in rural schools in a region of Saratov Oblast in 1994, 1997, and 2004, using the same methodological procedures. Each year, fifty eleventh-grade students were questioned prior to graduation. According to this author, survey results reflect the values of the life prospects of rural youth in all their contradictions, which depend on the state of the economic realities of the countryside and the cities, as well as the status of the family, and the lack of experience in realizing people's plans.

Millar, Pat; Kilpatrick, Sue (2005).  How Community Development Programmes Can Foster Re-Engagement with Learning in Disadvantaged Communities: Leadership as Process  Studies in the Education of Adults, 37, 1. 

Family and community capacity building projects in Tasmania are attempting to address the disadvantage of communities marginalised by socio-economic and other influences. Collaborations between the projects, community members and groups, and education and training organisations, have resulted in a leadership process which has fostered reengagement with learning in these disadvantaged communities. This study uses an ethnographic research methodology to examine the experiences of a number of new students or trainees, and the partnerships and collaborations which evolved between community development programmes, community members and groups, and educational and training organisations. Such collaborations may develop into dynamic leadership processes, enhancing social capital formation--thereby fostering genuine community development--while also facilitating re-engagement with learning.

Miller, Bruce Granville (2006).  Bringing Culture in: Community Responses to Apology, Reconciliation, and Reparations  American Indian Culture and Research Journal, 30, 4. 

In this paper, the author describes historic Coast Salish ritual practices and the concepts regarding wrongdoing and redemption that underlie them. He draws out the implications, particularly the associated dangers, derived from these existing rituals for ritual work conducted by outsiders engaging Coast Salish peoples. Finally, he considers the responses of Coast Salish peoples to recent apologies and reparations in Washington State and British Columbia. Despite the difficulties and potential traps, there can be benefits to considering existing cultural practices and incorporating them with top-down state-driven apologies. Over the last few generations, Coast Salish leaders have developed their own ways of incorporating representatives of government and industry within local rituals of reconciliation. But, as the author has noted, the state's use of rituals of apology to manage relations with constituent groups internationally creates the context for this development in North America, and so he briefly considers the insights and shortcomings of current scholarship on these issues.

Miller, Michael T.; Kissinger, Daniel B. (2007).  Connecting Rural Community Colleges to Their Communities  New Directions for Community Colleges, 2007, 137. 

This chapter describes how rural community colleges use continuing education and other noncredit activities to provide key services to their surrounding communities that aid in creating group identity and engagement in the larger community.

Miller, Michael T.; Tuttle, Courtney C. (2007).  Building Communities: How Rural Community Colleges Develop Their Communities and the People Who Live in Them  Community College Journal of Research and Practice, 31, 2. 

Community colleges in rural environments provide a variety of services. There is a great deal of documentation supporting those services that are academic and economic. The noneconomic and nonacademic results of community college activities, however, have an undocumented yet significant impact on local communities. The current study focused on how the activities of rural community colleges impacted local community self-identity. Using three case studies in the rural mid-south, four primary themes were identified as outcomes of these rural colleges' actions: developing community inclusiveness, developing community pride, creating a value-added community lifestyle, and being the central defining component of the host community.

Miller, Nancy (2005).  AASA's Study on After-School's Ups and Downs  School Administrator, 62, 5. 

AASA began an inquiry in 2001 to understand how barriers to effective after-school programs could be overcome by school district leaders. The issue, well-known anecdotally, had not to date been researched. School leaders tend to agree that after-school programs are sound educationally but struggle to operate and sustain such programs. Superintendents who successfully negotiated the barriers to after-school programs shared common behaviors. These common behaviors are listed in this article.

Miller, Rebecca (2004).  Bookmobiles Meet Small/Rural Libraries  Library Journal, 129, 19. 

Two small associations joined forces October 13-16 in Columbus, OH, to create a more dynamic annual conference. The Association of Rural and Small Libraries (ARSL) met with the Association of Bookmobile and Outreach Services (ABOS) so members could learn from one another and grapple with similar issues. Representing 36 states and New Zealand, 205 people attended. In her keynote, American Library Association (ALA) president, Carol Brey-Casiano reflected on her first eight years in librarianship working with bookmobiles and in rural libraries. This article discusses the events that took place during that annual conference and the issues discussed.

Miller, Robert (2003).  Literacy Instruction in Mexico. International Studies in Education. 

Beginning in 1978, a 20-year study charted the evolution of the public education system in Mexico, focusing on literacy instruction for various age groups and special populations. Drawing on descriptions of schools visited during the author's 13 visits to Mexico, this book describes Mexican educational practices, with the aim of helping U.S. teachers understand the Mexican students in their classrooms. Chapter 1 provides an overview of the school system, describes the organization of the Secretaria de Educacion Publica, and profiles four educators involved in school administration in Mexico City primary schools. Chapter 2 describes literacy instruction in the early grades, reviews the history of the literacy curriculum for primary grades, profiles the daily activities of a first-grade teacher, and outlines changes in basic literacy instruction during the study period. Chapter 3 describes rural education, bilingual literacy instruction for indigenous communities, and adult literacy instruction. Chapter 4 discusses changes in special education since the 1970s. Chapter 5 examines teacher training, including normal schools, the Universidad Pedagogica Nacional, teacher resource centers, teacher salaries and benefits, and teacher attitudes toward public education and teacher education. Chapter 6 describes Mexican and binational efforts to support Spanish literacy for Mexicans in the United States. Chapter 7 considers likely ongoing trends in Mexican education.

Miller, S. J. (2006).  Foregrounding Preservice Teacher Identity in Teacher Education  Teacher Education and Practice, 19, 2. 

The article examines, through comparative case study method, how secondary-language-arts preservice student teachers' identities were constructed by spacetime configurations and what those identities meant to the individuals in the study. It reflects on the findings from two of the preservice secondary arts teachers for the study in two differently structured teacher education programs, and it looks at how those teaching identities were influenced by spatial and temporal configurations, which constructed a particular identity during the spacetime of the study.

Mills, Carmen; Gale, Trevor (2003).  Transient Teachers: Mixed Messages of Schooling in Regional Australia  Journal of Research in Rural Education, 18, 3. 

This article explores the transience and mobility of teachers working in an isolated community: a secondary school in regional Australia. Drawing on parent, student, and teacher interviews, we ask: how should we understand these teacher commitments to schooling and how does this influence parents' and students' commitments and understandings of the "outside" value of their community? Responses to these questions are theorized utilizing the social theory of Pierre Bourdieu. Drawing on this work we argue that, even though teachers in this context are the bearers of highly prized capitals, they act more as gatekeepers than as their distributors and/or challengers. While we conclude that teachers may need to address their mobility and the messages this conveys in order to make a difference in such schools and communities, we also acknowledge that there are complexities related to staff residing in the community given its treatment of outsiders.

_____. (2005).  Minimum Standards for Tribal Child Care: A Health and Safety Guide  [US Department of Health and Human Services] 

The Child Care Bureau is reissuing the minimum standards as a "Health and Safety Guide" for Child Care and Development Fund (CCDF) Tribal Lead Agencies in conjunction with the 2005 Tribal Cluster Trainings, "Supporting the Physical, Social, and Emotional Wellness of Our Tribal Children." These voluntary guidelines represent the baseline from which all programs should operate to ensure that children are cared for in healthy and safe environments and that their basic needs are being met. Many Tribes may currently be exceeding the standards set forth in this document; others may want to use these standards as the starting point for developing their own tribal child care standards. These guidelines express minimum standards for health and safety in child care and are not intended to supersede any existing federal, state, tribal, or local laws or regulations. Tribal CCDF programs are responsible for knowing the laws and regulations that govern them and the child care programs that they fund through CCDF and for incorporating these laws and regulations into their tribal child care policies, procedures, and standards, as appropriate. Guidelines for policies/practices/caregiver training discuss: (1) Staffing Ratios and Group Sizes; (2) Caregiver Qualifications; (3) Caregiver Training; and (4) Program Policies. Building and Premises guidelines include standards for: (1) Safe Environment; (2) Nurturing and Enriching Environment; and (3) Transportation. The final section, Infection Control, discusses: (1) Immunization; (2) Sanitation; (3) Handwashing; (4) Food Safety; (5) Care of Ill Children; and (6) Caregiver Health. Appended is: (1) Standard Precautions. A Resource list is provided. [Guide developed by the Tribal Child Care Technical Assistance Center for the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services, Administration for Children and Families, Child Care Bureau.] | [FULL TEXT]

Minarik, Alan; Stoll, Christina (2005).  Establishing and Expanding a Web Community Called NorthStarNet  Computers in Libraries, 25, 2. 

These pioneers set out to set up new communities in the virtual frontier. Now, more than 50 libraries serve as Web hubs for their local settlements. The communities we live in have changed over time. But no matter the size of the tallest building, no matter how advanced the infrastructure, they grew to that size from humble beginnings: a fur-trading post, a tribal settlement, or an explorer's encampment. If this is true of our physical communities, it's just as true of our virtual ones. Rarely does an online network spring into being overnight; it takes time, work, and effort from all the people invested in its success. NorthStarNet is no exception. This article covers the following topics: (1) The Beginning: 1995-2001; (2) Making Progress: 2001-2003; (3) Our Status Now: 2003-2005; (4) The Future: 2005-?; and (5) The Benefits of Belonging to NorthStarNet.

Miner, Dylan (2008).  Straddling "la otra frontera": Inserting MiChicana/o Visual Culture into Chicana/o Art History  Aztlan: A Journal of Chicano Studies, 33, 1. 

Although there is a surplus of literature dealing with U.S.-Mexico border identities and cultures, this article begins to problematize and reposition Chicana/o art historical discourse by engaging with the U.S.-Canada border. By investigating the relationship between working-class histories and Chicana/o visual culture in Michigan, the article analyzes the function of MiChicana/o culture along la frontera nortena. Evoking a multiplicity of art historical and cultural studies approaches, the author addresses the work of George Vargas, Martin Moreno, Nora Chapa Mendoza, and the Xicano Development Center, among others, in hopes of recentering Chicana/o cultural studies.

Minner, Daphne D.; Hiles, Elisabeth (2005).  Rural School-Community Partnerships: The Case of Science Education  Issues in Teacher Education, 14, 1. 

The U.S. Department of Education (USDOE, 2004) administers a formula grant program to states that is intended to increase the academic achievement of students in mathematics and science by enhancing the content knowledge and teaching skills of classroom teachers. Partnerships between high-need school districts and the science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) faculty in institutions of higher education are at the core of these improvement efforts. These programs articulate the President's priority of using partnering to close the achievement gap in math and science between majority and minority and/or disadvantaged students in order to keep the U.S. competitive in international markets. However, in rural communities, the infrastructure for developing these partnerships (i.e., nearby institutions of higher education, stable economic base, human resources) is often not available. In this article, the authors explore how, within the context of a previous national educational reform effort--the National Science Foundation's Rural Systemic Initiative (RSI)--rural communities overcame these obstacles to form viable and meaningful partnerships that strengthened both their schools and communities. This information offers a number of lessons learned about how partnerships are, or are not, formed in the rural community context, which can inform the work of the current Math and Science Partnership efforts.

Minugh, P. Allison; Janke, Susan L.; Lomuto, Nicoletta A.; Galloway, Diane K. (2007).  Adolescent Substance Abuse Treatment Resource Allocation in Rural and Frontier Conditions: The Impact of Including Organizational Readiness to Change  Journal of Rural Health, 23, s1. 

Context: Rural and frontier states are significantly affected by substance abuse and poverty. The high rate of substance abuse coupled with high levels of dependence on state-funded treatment systems places a burden on rural treatment systems and makes resource allocation a central planning issue. Purpose: The goal of this study was to combine substance abuse treatment need data with organizational readiness to change data to create a rank-ordered listing of residential treatment providers to answer the following questions: Do program priority rankings change when organizational readiness to change is included in a need-based resource allocation algorithm? Methods: Three methodological procedures were used to determine program priority rankings among 14 residential adolescent treatment programs in 8 Wyoming counties: (1) a social indicators analysis of crime data, (2) synthetic estimates of substance abuse treatment need, and (3) analysis of organizational change data from the directors and staff at adolescent residential treatment programs. Findings: Program need rankings based on crime data and synthetic estimates of substance abuse treatment need shifted when organizational readiness to change data was added to the algorithm. Conclusions: There is much to be gained from considering organizational readiness to change when selecting programs for funding. It plays a central role in the successful diffusion of evidence-based practices within and among programs. Including this measure in the resource allocation process can help planners identify programs that will be more apt to adopt a best practice. This is critical for making decisions about where to allocate scarce treatment resources.

Misko, Josie (2006).  The Role of Community Development Employment Projects in Rural and Remote Communities. Support Document  [National Centre for Vocational Education Research (NCVER)] 

This document was produced by the author(s) based on their research for the report, "The Role of Community Development Employment Projects in Rural and Remote Communities," (ED495158) and is an added resource for further information. The contents of this support docment include: (1) Regional Council--Roma; (2) Regional Council--Tennant Creek; (3) Ali Curung CDEP; (4) Bidjara--Charleville CDEP; (5) Cherbourg CDEP; (6) Elliot CDEP; (7) Julalikari CDEP; (8) Julalikari--Buramana CDEP; (9) Kamilaroi--St George CDEP; (10) Papulu Apparr--Kari CDEP; (11) Toowoomba CDEP; (12) Thangkenharenge--Barrow Creek CDEP; (13) Batchelor Institute of Indigenous Tertiary Education (2002); (14) Institute of Aboriginal Development; and (15) Julalikari RTO.  | [FULL TEXT]

Misra, Pradeep Kumar (2006).  E-Strategies to Support Rural Education in India  Educational Media International, 43, 2. 

The World Declaration on Education for All in 1990 and the World Education Forum in Dakar in 2000 reaffirmed the right to learn and a commitment to meet the basic learning needs of all people by expanding learning opportunities and working for a fully literate society. In the Indian context, especially in rural India, it is still a cherished dream. Two-thirds of the population of India live in rural villages (approximately 700,000,000 people in 634,321 villages), among whom 207,000,000 are adult illiterates. The rural population of India is around 12.2% of the world's population and development of the rural sector and people living in rural areas is essential in the transformation of "developing India into developed India." The author of this paper has developed three innovative strategies to attain the Millennium Development Goals in rural India. The proposed strategies use a flexible amalgam of formal, informal and non-formal approaches to provide E-support for the diverse educational needs of the rural population of India.

Missingham, Bruce; Dibden, Jacqui; Cocklin, Chris (2006).  A Multicultural Countryside?: Ethnic Minorities in Rural Australia  Rural Society, 16, 2. 

This paper reviews previous social science knowledge about non-English speaking background (NESB) immigrant communities in rural Australia with the aim of systematising what has been a diverse and fragmented literature. We propose a number of unifying themes which suggest the outlines of an emerging social science of ethnic minorities in rural Australia. These themes include demography; influences on NESB people's decisions to settle in rural areas such as cultural continuity, social exclusion and chain migration; access to resources and services; gender relations; intergenerational social mobility, and farming practices and natural resource management. In conclusion, we suggest that social capital is one theoretical approach that holds the potential to bring together aspects of the settlement experiences of immigrants in rural Australia.

Mistretta, Martin J. (2007).  Differential Effects of Economic Factors on Specialist and Family Physician Distribution in Illinois: A County-Level Analysis  Journal of Rural Health, 23, 3. 

Context: Uneven distribution of physicians across geographic areas of the United States remains a significant problem that may have implications for health. Purpose: To develop a statistical model of physician distribution in Illinois counties that predicts where specialists and family physicians practice, and to suggest policy strategies for alleviating shortages. Methods: Three-stage least squares, an estimation technique, was utilized to create a model where 19 variables suggested by the literature predicted specialist and family physician distribution within geographic areas, specifically counties in Illinois. Findings: Non-economic quality of life factors seemed to be related to specialist physician practice location (eg, percent graduates and professionals located in the area, public school expenditures, nonpublic teachers per capita, and sufficient hospital beds). In contrast, economic factors were related to family physician practice location (eg, per capita income, total population [an indicator of demand for medical care]). Conclusion: Indicators suggest quality of life factors appear important in specialist location and retention, whereas indicators suggest economic factors appear important to family physician location and retention. Subsidies are suggested to encourage more family physicians to locate and remain in rural areas.

Mitchell, Claudia; Stuart, Jean; Moletsane, Relebohile; Nkwanyana, Callistus Bheka (2006).  "Why We Don't Go to School on Fridays": On Youth Participation through Photo Voice in Rural KwaZulu-Natal  McGill Journal of Education, 41, 3. 

In this article, we draw on the example of the Friday Absenteeism Project, a photo voice project with sixth grade learners in a rural KwaZulu-Natal school, to interrogate the nature of participatory process and cultural production. In so doing, we explore a number of critical issues related to youth participation, including ethics, citizenship and democracy, false promises, life skills and youth participation, links to media, edutainment, art and social change, participation, and taking action.

Mitchell, Rob; Allen, Vivien; Waller, John; Ohlenbusch, Paul (2004).  A Mobile Classroom Approach to Graduate Education in Forage and Range Sciences  Journal of Natural Resources and Life Sciences Education, 33. 

It is becoming increasingly difficult to keep graduate students in forage and range science connected to producers and grazingland resources in the USA. Students must take an integrated systems approach to understanding the complexity of our grazinglands and their role in addressing critical issues. This can best be conveyed to the student by bringing together an array of expertise and providing exposure to diverse sites for these learning opportunities. Thus, a multidisciplinary graduate course was developed for students at U.S. universities that transports students to professionals in different ecoregions, and provides a hands-on approach to grazinglands education. In the first 5 years of the course, 59 students from 12 countries have represented 8 universities in the USA and Mexico. Student responses to the course have been positive. We believe this course fills a niche currently lacking in most graduate programs and provides a unique opportunity for students to interact with experts in every aspect of forage and range science. The personal and professional contacts, cross-cultural interactions, photographs, and potential for career direction are tangible items seldom attained in graduate education.

Mitchem, Katherine; Wells, Deborah; Wells, John (2003).  Using Evaluation to Ensure Quality Professional Development in Rural Schools  Journal of Research in Rural Education, 18, 2. 

Professional development practices implemented in rural school systems have often led nowhere. These practices seem to produce adult learning activities with few results other than participants' mounting frustration and another innovation left by the wayside. To encourage the development of productive professional development, many studies are beginning to indicate the importance of making evaluation central to the design of professional development. Employing an evaluative approach may assist staff developers in addressing the frequent criticism that professional development activities are disconnected from one another and do not form part of a coherent program of teacher learning and development. The CIPP Model was formulated by Stufflebeam (1966) to show how evaluation contributes to the decision-making process in the program management. We propose a similar conceptual model for ongoing data-based professional development in rural settings. This model provides practitioners with a useful and manageable tool for incorporating an evaluative approach to the design, development, and delivery of professional development. In addition, we provide a practical application of the model to an ongoing rural professional development project.

Moeck, Pat G.; Hardy, David E.; Katsinas, Stephen G. (2007).  Residential Living at Rural Community Colleges  New Directions for Community Colleges, 2007, 137. 

Although most community colleges do not have on-campus housing, many rural two-year colleges do. Relying on federal institutional survey data, this chapter discusses issues related to the operation of residence halls and implications for both students and rural community college leaders. The chapter concludes with recommendations for policy and practice.

Moeck, Pat G.; Katsinas, Stephen G.; Hardy, David E.; Bush, V. Barbara (2008).  The Availability, Prospects, and Fiscal Potential of On-Campus Housing at Rural Community Colleges  Community College Review, 35, 3. 

Many rural community colleges have long provided on-campus housing. This article profiles the availability of housing at rural community colleges in 2001-2002 and 2005-2006, examines the factors that will continue to make on-campus housing an important service at rural institutions, and draws on 2005-2006 data from the Institutional Characteristics survey of the Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System to analyze the potential importance of housing as a source of revenues for rural community colleges.

Moletsane, Relebohile (2005).  Gender Equality in Education in the Context of the Millennium Development Goals: Challenges and Opportunities for Women  Convergence, 38, 3. 

This article addresses the question: In the context of poverty, gender-based violence (GBV) and HIV/AIDS currently ravaging under-resourced countries, dare we set our hopes for gender- equitable development in general, and gender equality in education in particular, on the Millenium Development Goals MDGs? The article analyses the interrelationship between gender, poverty and HIV/AIDS and its negative impact on the attainment of the MDG targets for the education of women, as well as for gender equality and women's empowerment. It concludes that liberal policies alone, however well developed and intentioned, are simply not enough to effectively intervene against gender inequality. Rather, in addition to educational factors, programmes that target women's access and success in education as well as gender equality and women's empowerment should aim to address the ways in which contextual factors (e.g. poverty, gender, GBV and HIV/AIDS), interact to negatively impact on the capacity of the system to develop and implement effective interventions.

_____. (2005).  Montana High School Completion and Graduation Rates for the Graduating Class of 2004  [Montana Office of Public Instruction] 

The Montana School Accreditation Standards require schools to do follow-up studies of graduates and students no longer in attendance, therefore, dropout and graduate data is collected from all public and accredited (by the Montana Board of Public Education) non-public schools. Dropout data can be used in conjunction with graduate data to build a "synthetic" high school completion rate or "on-time" graduation rate for a specific class of students, even though each student is not followed through high school. The National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) developed a formula as a practical way to calculate a completion rate after studying a variety of calculation methods. This estimated cohort method utilizes both dropout and completer data which can be calculated for all accredited schools, and requires data from four consecutive years. | [FULL TEXT]

_____. (2006).  Montana Statewide Dropout and Graduate Report: 2004-05 School Year  [Montana Office of Public Instruction] 

The Montana School Accreditation Standards (10.55.603, ARM) require schools to do follow-up studies of graduates and students no longer in attendance. This report provides information on students who graduated or dropped out of Montana public, state-funded and nonpublic, accredited schools during the 2004-05 school year. Students who drop out of school face a bleak economic world to a much greater degree than youths in general. According to the Digest of Education Statistics, as of October 2000, 28 percent of the 1999-00 dropouts were unemployed. By way of comparison, only 13 percent of 1999-00 recent graduates not enrolled in college were unemployed. (NCES, 2001) Employment opportunities for high school dropouts continue to lag far behind their counterparts who attain a high school diploma or a college degree. The goal of gathering dropout information is to identify where and when students drop out of school and to use this knowledge to help keep students in school. Each community needs to learn the unique reasons why students drop out of their schools and, as a community, participate in supporting interventions to keep them in school and perhaps break the cycle of at-risk factors.  | [FULL TEXT]

Monk, David H. (2007).  Recruiting and Retaining High-Quality Teachers in Rural Areas  Future of Children, 17, 1. 

In examining recruitment and retention of teachers in rural areas, David Monk begins by noting the numerous possible characteristics of rural communities--small size, sparse settlement, distance from population concentrations, and an economic reliance on agricultural industries that are increasingly using seasonal and immigrant workers to minimize labor costs. Many, though not all, rural areas, he says, are seriously impoverished. Classes in rural schools are relatively small, and teachers tend to report satisfaction with their work environments and relatively few problems with discipline. But teacher turnover is often high, and hiring can be difficult. Monk observes that rural schools have a below-average share of highly trained teachers. Compensation in rural schools tends to be low, perhaps because of a lower fiscal capacity in rural areas, thus complicating efforts to attract and retain teachers. Several student characteristics, including relatively large shares of students with special needs and with limited English skills and lower shares of students attending college, can also make it difficult to recruit and retain high-quality teachers. Other challenges include meeting the needs of highly mobile children of low-income migrant farm workers. With respect to public policy, Monk asserts a need to focus on a subcategory of what might be called hard-to-staff rural schools rather than to develop a blanket set of policies for all rural schools. In particular, he recommends a focus on such indicators as low teacher qualifications, teaching in fields far removed from the area of training, difficulty in hiring, high turnover, a lack of diversity among teachers in the school, and the presence of migrant farm workers' children. Successful efforts to stimulate economic growth in these areas would be highly beneficial. He also calls attention to the potential for modern telecommunication and computing technologies to offset some of the drawbacks associated with teaching in rural areas.  | [FULL TEXT]

Monteflor, Marites O.; Williams, Arthur R.; Williams, Phoebe D.; Go, Nixon O.; Moriarty, James P.; Quinones, Hazel W.; Bruggeman, Sandra K. (2006).  Parent Motivation Strategies and the Performance of Preschoolers in a Rural Philippine Municipality  Early Childhood Education Journal, 33, 5. 

Although under-investment in children is an identified problem in low-income developing countries (LDC) and the establishment and use of preschools has been advocated as a partial remedy, the readiness of children and parents for preschool in LDC has been little studied. This paper assesses motivational techniques that parents report using with preschool children in a rural Philippine municipality. The purposes of this study were to examine: (a) whether the motivation strategies used by parents are consistent with a "balanced, holistic approach" to child development and (b) whether the parents' motivational strategies are associated with school performance. The study suggests some over-weighting by parents of academic achievement, but otherwise more appropriate child-oriented behaviors were observed than reported in some research. Motivation by parents also was associated with preschool performance.

Moon, Bob (2007).  School-Based Teacher Development in Sub-Saharan Africa: Building a New Research Agenda  Curriculum Journal, 18, 3. 

This article explores and analyses the context of school-based teacher development in Sub-Saharan Africa. The argument is made that many aspects of the teacher problem in these regions mirror those in the rest of the world, but the size and scale of the need makes the challenge of providing schools and teachers to achieve "Education for All" (EFA) one of the world's biggest educational problems. As such, a response from the global community, parallel to similar initiatives in health, is required. The context of the problem is set out, particularly the inevitability of creating new school-based modes of teacher development. The analysis draws extensively on the work of the Teacher Education in Sub-Saharan Africa (TESSA) research programme. The article then goes on to suggest: (1) the revolution in communication technologies provides an opportunity radically to reassess the forms and modes of teacher development, particularly in rural areas; and (2) there is a need for research and development activity to provide the foundation upon which such potential can be realized. In this context a new "architecture for teacher development" needs putting in place, a process that should be a mainstream concern for the world's education research community.

Moon, Zola K.; Farmer, Frank L.; Tilford, John M. (2005).  Attenuation of Racial Differences in Health Service Utilization Patterns for Previously Uninsured Children in the Delta  Journal of Rural Health, 21, 4. 

Context: A school-based health insurance program for children of the working poor was conducted in 2 isolated, rural communities in the Lower Mississippi Delta region. The larger of the 2 communities had an array of locally available health care providers, whereas the smaller community did not. In response to this lack of available care, the project designed and delivered outreach programs, including transportation to providers. Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to examine the role of race, age, and gender in the relationships between the utilization of care and the impact of outreach programs. Method: General estimating equation models are used to examine the response of utilization variables to race, age, gender, and community. Four years of insurance claims data are analyzed. Findings: Race is seen to be an important component of utilization. The majority of participants were African American; however, children receiving prescription services, emergency room care, routine physician visits, and hospital outpatient services were more likely to be white. Outreach programs in vision and dental services were found to eliminate racial differences and increase utilization. A relatively strong gender effect was found in prescription, wellness, vision, and dental services. Conclusions: Previous research has shown differences by race in utilization of care. Our findings show that targeted outreach programs can significantly diminish these differences. Findings also suggest that barriers to health care for poor rural children are closely linked to transportation and availability of providers, not merely to cost of care or insurance.

Moore, Anna C.; Akhter, Sadika; Aboud, Frances E. (2008).  Evaluating an Improved Quality Preschool Program in Rural Bangladesh  International Journal of Educational Development, 28, 2. 

An important goal of education in developing countries is to implement and improve early childhood education. A pre-post intervention-control design was used to compare a piloted-revised versus a regular preschool program offered by an organization in rural Bangladesh. After 7 months in operation, the quality of the piloted-revised program was higher than the regular program, though the regular program had also improved. Children attending pilot preschools made greater gains than children attending regular preschools on most outcome measures. Action research was conducted alongside the quantitative evaluation to study the process of the implementation and to identify areas for further improvement.

Moore, Audrey-Marie Schuh (2002).  Economic Openness and the Marginalization of Small Family Farmers: Aligning Curriculum To Meet the Needs of Rural Adolescents in Brazil. 

Economic liberalization and the rise of global competition have increased the importance of agricultural, technical, and business skills for small farmers in Brazil. However, many rural farmers are unable to attend agricultural technical schools due to low educational attainment. The first section of this paper discusses the impact that liberalization of the Brazilian economy has had on small rural producers in the state of Sao Paulo, Brazil. Section 2 examines institutional challenges inherent in the Brazilian rural education system that contribute to the marginalization of rural populations. These include rural-urban differences in enrollment and dropout rates, the effects of child labor, and the lack of practical relevance of school-based agricultural education. Section 3 describes the Programa de Formacao de Jovens Empresarios Rurais (PROJOVEM), developed by the University of Sao Paulo in collaboration with the Paulo Souza Center for Educational Technology and the state government. PROJOVEM is a 3-year alternative program to prepare rural adolescents to administer and manage small farms competitively and sustainably. Using the "pedagogy of alternancia," the program provides 1 week of training per month in a group setting. Learning is focused on student projects on their own farms. A final section discusses the potential of programs such as PROJOVEM for rural adolescents and rural development. An appendix explains the principles of the pedagogy of alternancia, a constructivist, hands-on approach developed in rural France by Abade Granereau. (Contain 25 references.) | [FULL TEXT]

Moore, Helen (2007).  Black Pupils in a White Landscape: Reclaiming the Countryside for Enriched Learning Experiences  FORUM: for promoting 3-19 comprehensive education, 49, 3. 

This article focuses on the accepted identity of the countryside as a hegemonic, idyllic and stable environment. Making use of the experiences of a group of 25 15-year-old London students on a recent residential trip to the Dorset coast, it seeks to understand whether or not the countryside is seen as a "welcoming place" for inner-city children.

Moore, Jan (2005).  Unaccompanied and Homeless Youth Review of Literature (1995-2005)  [National Center for Homeless Education] 

This review, compiled by the National Center for Homeless Education (NCHE), is based on literature published between 1995 and 2005 on issues concerning unaccompanied youth experiencing homelessness. It provides an overview of the challenges these young people face and includes research about why they leave their homes, how they live after leaving, and what interventions are being used to assist them. It is broken down into sections on history, definitions, estimates, research, legislation, education, and interventions. Studies mentioned are predominantly those with larger numbers of participants who are fairly representative of the actual population of homeless youth. The information should be especially helpful for advocates who disseminate information to increase community awareness of pertinent issues and strategies to serve unaccompanied youth, service providers and policymakers interested in effective programs and where they may focus their efforts to serve unaccompanied youth, and researchers who want to identify gaps in the knowledge base. | [FULL TEXT]

Moore, Justin B.; Davis, Catherine L.; Baxter, Suzanne Domel; Lewis, Richard D.; Yin, Zenong (2008).  Physical Activity, Metabolic Syndrome, and Overweight in Rural Youth  Journal of Rural Health, 24, 2. 

Background: Research suggests significant health differences between rural dwelling youth and their urban counterparts with relation to cardiovascular risk factors. This study was conducted to (1) determine relationships between physical activity and markers of metabolic syndrome, and (2) to explore factors relating to physical activity in a diverse sample of rural youth. Methods: Data were collected from 4th, 6th, 8th, and 11th grade public school students in the rural Southeastern United States in the spring of 2002. Physiological data included anthropometrics, fasting glucose, lipids, hemodynamics, and skinfold measurements. Psychosocial data included parental support for physical activity, accessibility of physical activity facilities, and safety concerns for physical activity. Behavioral data included self-reported physical activity and sedentary behaviors. Results: After adjusting for sex, race, and age, subjects with low level of physical activity were 3 times more likely to be positive for metabolic syndrome compared to those reporting a high level of physical activity. Subjects reporting a low level of physical activity were 2.4 times more likely to be overweight compared to subjects reporting a high level of physical activity. Students with high levels of physical activity were more likely to have parents who provided money for physical activity lessons and sports teams. Conclusions: Rural youth with low levels of physical activity participation were at increased risks for metabolic syndrome and overweight. Effective physical activity promotions addressing supports for physical activity are urgently needed in rural America.

Moore, Tyrel G. (2005).  Defining Appalachia: Public Policy and Regional Dynamics in Appalachia's Low-Income Counties, 1965-2000  Journal of Geography, 104, 2. 

Appalachia provides excellent examples of regional concepts and subregional dynamics that comprise and change regions. The region also illustrates complexities that arise in teaching regional concepts. These concepts often present challenges for students, not only in comprehending the ways that change occurs as the selection of regionally-defining criteria change, but also in seeing the deeper geographies that can be masked when regions are seen as little more that static spatial constructs. This paper presents the geography of low-income counties within the Appalachian region, defined by the Appalachian Regional Commission (ARC), as an example that clearly illustrates subregional differences and dynamics.

Moran, R.; Rampey, B. D.; Dion, G.; Donahue, P. (2008).  National Indian Education Study, 2007. Part I: Performance of American Indian and Alaska Native Students at Grades 4 and 8 on NAEP 2007 Reading and Mathematics Assessments. NCES 2008-457  [National Center for Education Statistics] 

This report presents the results for Part I of the study focusing on the performance of American Indian and Alaska Native (AI/AN) fourth- and eighth-graders on the 2007 National Assessment of Educational Progress in reading and mathematics. A national sample of approximately 10,100 AI/AN students at grades 4 and 8 participated in the 2007 reading assessment and 10,300 in the mathematics assessment. Results from this study are compared to those from the first NIES conducted in 2005. The results for 11 states with relatively large populations of AI/AN students are presented in addition to the national results. In both reading and mathematics, overall scores for AI/AN fourth and eighth-graders showed no significant change since 2005 and were lower than the scores for non-AI/AN students in 2007. In 2007 at both grades, AI/AN students attending schools in which less than 25 percent of the students were AI/AN scored higher than their peers attending schools with higher concentrations of AI/AN students, and those attending public schools scored higher than their peers in Bureau of Indian Education schools. Although overall average scores for AI/AN students were lower than the scores for non-AI/AN students at both grades in 2007, they were not consistently lower than the scores for all racial/ethnic groups. Average scores in both grades for AI/AN students were lower than the scores for White and Asian/Pacific Islander students. Scores for higher-performing AI/AN students were higher than those of their Black peers in both grades. In reading, AI/AN fourth-graders attending city schools scored higher than their Hispanic peers, and AI/AN eighth-graders attending rural schools scored lower than their Hispanic peers. In mathematics, average scores for AI/AN students in both grades were not significantly different from their Hispanic peers.  [For Part I of the 2005 edition of this study, see ED491693. For Part II of the 2005 edition of this study, see ED493678.] | [FULL TEXT]

Morelli, Peg (2002).  Promoting Academic, Business, and Community Partnerships in Rural Areas. 

Rural community colleges are faced with issues similar to their urban counterparts, but many challenges for rural schools are further exacerbated by limited resources, geographic isolation, and a static economy. This paper argues that the difference between success and failure can be the ability to create strong partnerships. Of the 15 colleges in the Colorado Community College System, 7 are rural, 2 are located in mountain communities, and 6 are in urban areas. Approximately three-quarters of the colleges have multiple campuses, many in rural locations. The Colorado Rural Development Council (CRDC, a part of the National Rural Development Partnership) was created in 1993 to improve school-business relationships for rural schools. A 30-member interim steering committee was created from the 300-plus people attending a statewide conference on rural development. The interim steering committee hired the Council's executive director, who was assigned the task of convening networking community meetings in order to create the CRDC board. Each CRDC has two private, two nonprofit, and two local government representatives. CRDC meetings are preceded by community forums, which provide input regarding the issues. The Council creates its Annual Plan using these common issues. The paper gives a brief history of the CRDC from its inception to the present.  | [FULL TEXT]

Moriarty, Beverley; Danaher, Patrick Alan; Danaher, Geoff (2003).  Situating and Interrogating Contemporary Australian Rural Education Research  Journal of Research in Rural Education, 18, 3. 

This opening article in this special issue about Australian rural education research develops three key points. First, the Australian literature reflects the complexities of defining the terms "regional," "rural," and "remote," with many definitions deriving from a fixed and disabling urban-rural binary. That literature also contains a number of success stories of educational innovations in rural Australia. Second, the conceptual and methodological resources underpinning the Australian literature need to be interrogated to ensure that they avoid deficit constructions of rural Australia in favor of more productive understandings that recognize and value rural educational innovations. Third, the articles in this collection provide points of potential dialogue between American and Australian rural education researchers committed to mapping and celebrating diversity and innovation. | [FULL TEXT]

Moriarty, Beverley; Gray, Brian (2003).  Future Directions: A Model for Educational Partnerships in Australia  Journal of Research in Rural Education, 18, 3. 

Educators are typically people who have much to offer their profession as well as the communities in which they work. This article analyzes the strategies used to develop a university postgraduate education program that involved input from stakeholders representing different educational systems in regional and rural Australia. The results indicate that professional goals can be achieved when people from regional or rural schooling systems and universities form strategic partnerships. The findings support the recommendation that empirically tested models of collaboration be used to guide the joint efforts of partners from different organizations. It is also recommended that partners formally evaluate their processes in order to contribute theoretically to existing models of collaboration and to other approaches less extensively researched. While this approach is likely to benefit people living in regional and rural parts of Australia, it could also be applied beyond the regional Australian context.

Morris, Sandra L. (2001).  TIME (Training in a Manila Envelope): A Child Care Plus+ Outreach Project To Expand Care and Education Options for Young Children with Disabilities. Final Report. 

This final report summarizes the activities of TIME (Training in a Manila Envelope), a federally funded project designed to replicate the Child Care plus+ model of inservice training by providing: (1) a course on inclusion directly for child care providers and other early childhood professionals in rural areas across the nation; and (2) training for learning facilitators to replicate the model in local areas. With consideration for the unique qualities of each child, each early childhood setting, and each individual provider, TIME used lifelong learning practices matched with accessible methods to help child care providers in rural areas who may have specific needs and limited resources. A total of 524 providers successfully completed the self-study course provided directly through grant activities, demonstrating positive changes in knowledge, skills, and practice. One hundred forty of these providers participated in skill-based training provided directly by project staff by enrolling in a comprehensive, self-study, university course on the basic practices and skills which promote inclusion of young children with disabilities in early childhood settings. The other 384 providers participated in self-study courses facilitated by 24 learning facilitators replicating the model in local areas in nine states (Alaska, California, Idaho, Massachusetts, Montana, New Mexico, Oregon, Pennsylvania, and Utah). This report includes a description of the course content, an annotated list of products developed by the project, examples of the project's impact, a list of future activities, and a discussion of lessons learned. | [FULL TEXT]

Moscovice, Ira; Wholey, Douglas R.; Klingner, Jill; Knott, Astrid (2004).  Measuring Rural Hospital Quality  Journal of Rural Health, 20, 4. 

Increased interest in the measurement of hospital quality has been stimulated by accrediting bodies, purchaser coalitions, government agencies, and other entities. This paper examines quality measurement for hospitals in rural settings. We seek to identify rural hospital quality measures that reflect quality in all hospitals and that are sensitive to the rural hospital context. "Methods": We develop a conceptual model for measuring rural hospital quality, with a focus on the special issues posed by the rural hospital context for quality measurement. With the assistance of a panel of rural hospital and hospital quality measurement experts, we review hospital quality measures from national and rural organizations for their fit to rural hospitals. "Findings" Based on this analysis, we recommend an initial core set of quality measures relevant for rural hospitals with less than 50 beds. This core set of 20 measures includes 11 core measures from the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations (JCAHO) related to community acquired pneumonia, heart failure, and acute myocardial infarction;1 measure related to infection control; 3 measures related to medication dispensing and teaching; 2 procedure-related measures; 1 financial measure; and 2 other measures related to the use of advance directives and emergency department monitoring of trauma vital signs. Based on the special measurement needs posed by the rural hospital context, we suggest avenues for future quality measure development for core rural hospital functions (eg, triage, stabilization, and transfer, and emergency care) not considered in existing quality measurement sets.

_____. (2005).  Mother Tongue-Based Teaching and Education for Girls: Advocacy Brief  [Online Submission] 

Background: A linguistic mismatch between school and community creates problems in both access to school services and the quality of those services. Consideration of mother tongue is the key for making schools more inclusive for girls. Purpose: To argue that education in mother tongue results in making schools more inclusive for disadvantaged groups, especially girls and women. Findings: The use of mother tongue is linked to improvements in girls' participation in education. To make these links more solid, researchers should collect data on school enrolment, repetition, dropout and graduation that clearly differentiate between boys and girls. Conclusion: Using the mother tongue for teaching and learning does not in itself equalize opportunities for female learners, but it does improve conditioners for all learners, especially girls. Citation: Mother tongue-based teaching and education for girls: advocacy brief. Bangkok, UNESCO, 2005. 10p. [This document was produced by the Asia and Pacific Regional Bureau for Education, UNESCO.] | [FULL TEXT]

Mott, Vivian W. (2008).  Rural Education for Older Adults  New Directions for Adult and Continuing Education, 2008, 117. 

Meeting the learning needs of older adults in rural areas is a critical and growing concern for adult and continuing education. This chapter addresses learning in a rural context for older adults by examining several constructs. These include the definitions of "rural," the issues of the learners' ages, and the various structures and purposes their learning takes. Three case studies that represent three very different groups of rural, older learners in pursuit of education for a variety of purposes are discussed: (1) learning for self-sufficiency; (2) learning for social action; and (3) learning for leisure or self-improvement. Implications for both theory and practice in adult and continuing education are discussed.

Moulton, Patricia L.; Miller, Marlene E.; Offutt, Sue M.; Gibbens, Brad P. (2007).  Identifying Rural Health Care Needs Using Community Conversations  Journal of Rural Health, 23, 1. 

Context: Community input can lead to better-defined goals in an organization. With this in mind, the Center for Rural Health at the University of North Dakota School of Medicine and Health Sciences embarked on a series of 13 meetings with representatives of organizations serving rural communities, including 5 Native American reservations. Purpose: To give a detailed description of the steps involved in planning, and the outcomes and lessons learned from the meetings. Organizations will be able to use this information when incorporating community involvement as part of their planning process. Project: Each meeting included a presentation of the Center for Rural Health efforts throughout the state and a discussion in which residents were asked about health care barriers they have encountered and how the Center for Rural Health could align its efforts to assist communities. Conclusions: The conversations from these meetings have provided a wealth of information about barriers to providing quality health care facing rural and Native American residents. The Center for Rural Health has incorporated this information into its strategic planning process and has formed several work groups to address issues raised. Community conversations allow organizations to better determine priorities that will be valid and realistic to the communities they serve.

Mueller, Keith J.; McBride, Timothy D.; Andrews, Courtney; Fraser, Roslyn; Xu, Liyan (2005).  The Federal Employees Health Benefits Program: A Model for Competition in Rural America?  Journal of Rural Health, 21, 2. 

The Medicare Prescription Drug, Improvement, and Modernization Act of 2003 (MMA) created the Medicare Advantage (MA) program, which promotes the entry of private Preferred Provider Organization (PPO) plans into regions that have not previously had Medicare managed care plans. The assumption that a competitive environment will develop is based on experiences in the Federal Employees Health Benefits Program (FEHBP). The authors test the hypothesis that the FEHBP has fostered an environment of competing health plans, especially preferred provider organizations (PPOs), in rural areas. Data from the US Office of Personnel Management are used to quantify the number of FEHBP-certified plans in each US county and the number of enrollees in each plan. Data from the Area Resource File are used to measure independent variables in multivariate analysis to account for the number of FEHBP-certified health plans competing in each US county. While 98% of all counties have at least 3 plans with enrollment, in many sparsely populated rural areas, only 1 of the plans is an open-enrollment plan (excludes plans for letter carriers). There is a strong relationship between the number of FEHBP plans and areas with high population counts and high population density. In many counties with low population counts (under 3,000), most PPOs are not contracting with the nearest primary care provider. The FEHBP is not a perfect predictor of MA plan activity because the MA program does not use the FEHBP approach of certifying regional plans that must offer local access. However, the FEHBP experience indicates that plans are attracted to areas with high population counts and high population density.

Mugisha, Frederick (2006).  School Enrollment among Urban Non-Slum, Slum and Rural Children in Kenya: Is the Urban Advantage Eroding?  International Journal of Educational Development, 26, 5. 

For long now, the urban child has been considered to be more likely than his/her rural counterpart in being able to realize the dream of fully participating in school. This observation has mainly been attributed to what is commonly known as the "urban advantage." This "urban advantage" is associated with increased access to facilities such as schools in urban areas. Recent work documenting population health in urban and rural areas has however begun to suggest that some sections of the urban population do not benefit from the "urban advantage." For example, a child in the slums of Nairobi is more likely to suffer from diarrhea than a child in rural Kenya. In addition, a child from the richest household in the slums is more likely to suffer from diarrhea than a child from the poorest family in rural Kenya. This paper explores patterns of school enrollment comparing urban slum, urban non-slum and rural children. The paper uses data from the Kenya Demographic and Health Survey (KDHS) for 1993, 1998 and 2003. A contrast with school enrollment in Nairobi slums is done using the KDHS-type Nairobi Cross Sectional Slum Survey for 2000. Data from focus group discussions collected in the slums of Nairobi provide the context for discussion. The results suggest that school enrollment is higher in urban non-slum than in urban slum areas, and is higher in slums than in rural areas at younger ages. However, this is only true up to age 9 for females and 11 for males, from which school enrollment for slum children declines and the rate of decline is faster than among their rural counterparts. The corresponding ages at which the enrollment among the rural children begins to visibly decline are 13 years for males and 14 years for females. Factors contributing to these results point to the poor quality of primary schools in slums, limited access to secondary school for slum children, increased vulnerability to coercion into sexual activity and other ills that hinder school participation, disabling environment at home and increased child labor.

Muijs, Daniel (2008).  Widening Opportunities? A Case Study of School-to-School Collaboration in a Rural District  Improving Schools, 11, 1. 

In recent years, the principle of networking and collaboration has become more prevalent and more widely studied in education. Most research to date has been carried out in urban contexts. However, it can be argued that, for school improvement in rural areas, their specific circumstances make collaboration imperative. In this article, we discuss a Federation of rural schools as a case study of collaboration in rural areas. Collaboration was found to have major advantages in terms of widening provision and opportunities for learners and allowing schools to address vulnerable groups more effectively. However, some troublesome issues of power and equity remain in the collaborative and its relations to the broader area.

Mulryan-Kyne, Catherine (2005).  The Grouping Practices of Teachers in Small Two-Teacher Primary Schools in the Republic of Ireland  Journal of Research in Rural Education, 20, 17. 

Research shows that educational outcomes are no different for pupils in single-grade and multigrade classes. However, little is known about the instructional practices of multigrade teachers. What is known suggests that multigrade teachers tend to employ instructional practices that are not likely to facilitate effective teaching and learning. The present study explored the grouping practices of primary teachers in the Republic of Ireland in small two-teacher multigrade schools. These teachers taught four grade levels together. Results showed that teachers used a wider range of grouping approaches across and within subject areas than has been suggested in previous research. Also, unlike teachers in previous studies, teachers in the present study used cross-age and peer tutoring and across-grade grouping. Results supported previous research regarding the amount of independent seatwork engaged in by pupils in multigrade classrooms. However, pupils in study classrooms also engaged in paired/group seatwork. Further research on teaching practices in multigrade classes, across a range of contexts, is recommended in order to provide a basis for the preparation and support of multigrade teachers.

Munro, Kate (2005).  The Public Sale of Funds for Indigenous Education: A Perspective from Tranby Aboriginal College  Australian Journal of Adult Learning, 45, 2. 

The discussion begins with an overview of the historical struggle for independence in Indigenous education and highlights the success in the provision of quality education by the community-controlled sector, and more specifically, Tranby. The right to self-determination is then contextualised against a backdrop of the Royal Commission Into Aboriginal Deaths In Custody (RCIADIC) and within a framework of international legal authority. Finally the diminution of funding for Indigenous education is discussed with reference to the Indigenous Education (Targeted Assistance) Amendment Bill 2005, and its potential impact on Tranby and the community-controlled sector. | [FULL TEXT]

Murray, Joh P.; Cunningham, Sean (2004).  New Rural Community College Faculty Members and Job Satisfaction  Community College Review, 32, 2. 

To determine what attracts faculty to rural community colleges, a qualitative study, based on the theory of met expectations, was conducted. The faculty who expressed satisfaction were those who were comfortable living and working in a rural community, enjoyed the challenge of teaching students who varied considerably in their readiness for college level work, and delighted in their students' accomplishments. In the words of one participant: "If you like it here you will be fine."

Murray, John P. (2005).  Meeting the Needs of New Faculty at Rural Community Colleges  Community College Journal of Research and Practice, 29, 3. 

To determine what attracts faculty to rural community colleges, a qualitative study based on the theory of met expectations was conducted. The faculty members who expressed satisfaction were those who were comfortable living and working in a rural community, enjoyed the challenge of teaching students who varied considerably in their readiness for college-level work, and delighted in their students' accomplishments. In the words of one participant "if you like it here you will be fine."

Murray, John P. (2007).  Recruiting and Retaining Rural Community College Faculty  New Directions for Community Colleges, 2007, 137. 

Much is being written about a potential shortage of qualified community college faculty. Rural community colleges may be at the greatest disadvantage in attracting and retaining new faculty because they cannot offer the financial, cultural, and social advantages that more urban institutions can. This chapter describes the factors rural community college leaders must consider when recruiting and hiring new professors.

Murray, Shannon (2006).  Wisconsin's Tribal Colleges Overcome Challenges to Enrich Their Communities  Tribal College Journal of American Indian Higher Education, 17, 3. 

This study, which was conducted during the summer of 2005, employed in-depth interviews using open-ended questions to develop an understanding of the history, purposes, and roles, curricula and programs, successes and challenges, and futures of the two Wisconsin tribal colleges: the College of Menominee Nation (CMN) in Keshena and the Lac Courte Oreilles Ojibwa Community College (LCOOCC) near Hayward. Interviews were conducted with a total of eight people, including presidents, administrators, and staff at the two colleges. Field notes were summarized and conclusions were drawn based on the interviews. In each interview, the participants were able to provide feedback on the conclusions being drawn during the interviews.

Murthy, C. S. H. N.; Mathur, Gaurav (2008).  Designing E-Learning Programs for Rural Social Transformation and Poverty Reduction  [Online Submission] 

While the conventional education system with different forms of E-learning and rigid academic instructive curriculum could not bring desired changes in specified timeframe work at rural level in the targeted communities and groups, a multipronged sociological approach with a sociable and flexible curriculum in new E-Learning programs becomes need of hour. The impact of socializing influence of these E-Learning programs should be properly exploited to motivate and inspire the rural target groups. The benefits of E-learning then become extensive and soon integrate with the needs of the lower strata of the society in order for achieving a rapid social transformation in the lives of the farmers, vocational groups, artisans and small income self help groups comprising women, girls and physically challenged. The paper suggests a number of new generation E-Learning programs as strategies of development communication with a promise of high returns for the industry for its investment in these programs with socially relevant messages and media convergence. | [FULL TEXT]

Mutersbaugh, Tad (2005).  Just-in-Space: Certified Rural Products, Labor of Quality, and Regulatory Spaces  Journal of Rural Studies, 21, 4. 

Since the mid-1990s, the number and diversity of "quality-certified" products has increased dramatically. This article examines labor practices and regulatory spaces within 3rd party quality certification and suggests that this distinct configuration be termed "just-in-space" production. A privileging of space derives, on the one hand, from the character of qualities certified. "Extrinsic" qualities, such as biodiversity conservation or fair-trade labor practices, may only be introduced into the commodity through monitoring of labor at the point of production and along the commodity chain to retailer venues. This monitoring, accomplished via inspections and document production on a track that parallels the commodity movement, occurs within a semi-public space and results in an uneasy tension between a social interest in open inspections of ecological and socially-just production and retailer interest in controlling certification information about "green" products. At the same time, transnational institutional regulation of certification (e.g., ISO), together with popular support for quality certification, limits the power of retailers and activists to alter certification practices and sustains the semi-public character of this space. Using a literature review and research on certified organic coffee, this paper examines practical and theoretical implications of just-in-space production, and concludes that while this configuration facilitates public action in support of social-justice and environmental conservation, it is also susceptible to manipulation by large retail firms that chose to evade 3rd party certification by setting up private certifications.

Muthukrishna, Nithi; Ramsuran, Anitha; Pennefather, Jane; Naidoo, Jacqueline; Jugmohan, Pete (2007).  Sense-making Frameworks: Dominant, Discursive Constructions of Learners and Communities by Teachers in the Context of Intersecting Barriers to Basic Education  Perspectives in Education, 25, 1. 

This article examines the complex ways in which teacher constructions of their experiences of teaching in a rural, disadvantaged context shape their taken-for-granted understandings of barriers to basic education. This article attempts to deconstruct these value-laden understandings of barriers to education. We draw on Foucault's notion of discourse analysis in conceptualising how teachers make sense of reality in a context where HIV & AIDS prevalence is high, and where HIV & AIDS intersects with other mitigating barriers to basic education. It is argued that the processes by which we "know" and make sense of how to behave in our worlds are generated and sustained through historically and culturally specific social processes, including the process of education. The findings in the study suggest that the teachers relied on a deficiency framework as a basis for understanding the intersecting barriers to basic education. Five key themes relating to this framework emerged: othering, difference as deficit, homogenising of the subject, silence, and the positionality of the teacher in relation to values--the ethics of not acting. The article explores contradictions and contestations embedded in these dominant discourses.

Mutonyi, Harriet; Norton, Bonny (2007).  ICT on the Margins: Lessons for Ugandan Education  Language and Education, 21, 3. 

In this end piece, the authors argue that while this special issue shifts debates on the digital divide to address students' capacity to use Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) for productive social purposes, access to ICT remains a major challenge in countries like Uganda, in which less than 1% of the population has access to the Internet. However, since the case studies address marginalised communities in Australia, Brazil, Greece and South Africa, the findings have relevance to Uganda and other developing countries. Five lessons, in particular, are important for curriculum planning and policy development in Uganda: the need to collect empirical data on ICT access and use; the importance of recognising local differences across rural and urban communities, male and female students; the need to promote professional development of teachers so that they can make effective use of ICT in classrooms; the importance of integrating in and out-of-school digital literacy practices; and the need to consider how global software can best be adapted for local use. The authors conclude that if ICT is to play its part in achieving Education for All by 2015, there is an urgent need for collaborative partnerships between a wide range of stakeholders at both the local and global level.

Myers, Jane E.; Sweeney, Thomas J. (2004).  Advocacy for the Counseling Profession: Results of a National Survey.  Journal of Counseling and Development, 82, 4. 

Seventy-one leaders in state, regional, and national professional and credentialing associations in counseling responded to a survey concerning professional advocacy efforts, resources, obstacles, and needs. The results indicate a variety of ongoing advocacy initiatives, specific needs for resources and interprofessional collaboration, and agreement on the importance of advocacy for the future of the profession.