Rural Education | V

Vaisey, Stephen (2006).  Education and Its Discontents: Overqualification in America, 1972-2002  Social Forces, 85, 2. 

The study of education-occupation mismatch, once central to the sociological investigation of the labor market, has been largely abandoned. While labor economists and scholars in other nations continue to investigate overqualification, it has been more than two decades since its last sociological assessment in the United States. Drawing on previous work and guided by Bourdieu's concept of habitus, I hypothesize that workers who have more educational attainments than needed for their jobs will be less satisfied with their jobs, be more politically liberal, and be less likely to endorse an effort-based achievement ideology. Using the 1972-2002 General Social Survey, I find that overqualification has increased substantially, that the expected effects are generally found, and that these effects remain relatively stable over time. I discuss the implications of these findings for understanding the persistence of existing stratification hierarchies.

Valdes, Alberto; Mistiaen, Johan A. (2003).  Rural Poverty Alleviation in Brazil: Toward an Integrated Strategy. World Bank Country Study. 

This report constitutes a step toward designing an integrated strategy for rural poverty reduction in Brazil. The report contains an updated and detailed profile of the rural poor in the northeast and southeast regions of Brazil; identifies key components of rural poverty in those regions; and proposes a five-pronged strategic framework in which to couch a set of integrated poverty-reduction strategies. The framework envisions five exit paths from poverty: agricultural intensification of the small-farm sector, a more dynamic commercial agricultural sector, stimulation of rural non-farm employment, migration of youth to urban areas, and safety net provisions for those "trapped" in poverty. Contributing to this framework are in-depth thematic studies of the small-farm sector, rural labor markets, rural land markets, rural non-farm employment, rural education, and rural pensions. The analysis of rural education focuses on grades 1-4, which contain 85 percent of rural enrollment, and presents detailed data for the 1990s on enrollment, grade promotion, scores on national standardized tests, teacher qualifications, schools' physical infrastructure, and access to computers and a library. Regional and rural-urban differences are highlighted. The main educational funding programs of the national Ministry of Education are described, as well as recent reforms that have shifted most education funding from pork-barrel politics to more equitable, formula-driven allocation methods.

Valentine, Gill; Holloway, Sarah; Knell, Charlotte; Jayne, Mark (2008).  Drinking Places: Young People and Cultures of Alcohol Consumption in Rural Environments  Journal of Rural Studies, 24, 1. 

This paper focuses on the contemporary British moral panic about young people and the consumption of alcohol in public space. Most of this public debate has focused on binge drinking in urban areas as a social problem. Here, we consider instead the role of alcohol in rural communities, and in particular alcohol consumption in domestic and informal spaces, as well as the formal drinking landscape of pubs and bars. Drawing on empirical work (including a survey, interviews and participant observation) in rural Cumbria, UK we explore the specific socio-spatial nature of local attitudes to alcohol consumption and its regulation. In doing so, we reflect on the nature of rural lifestyles, community spaces and intergenerational relations. The paper concludes by highlighting some of the implications for health promotion professionals of the generally positive attitude towards young people's drinking in the rural area where the research was conducted. It also draws attention to the need for academics to pay closer attention to the ways that moral panics about binge drinking are implicitly producing a monolithic image of alcohol consumption in urban areas that fails to acknowledge the socio-spatially differentiated nature of practices of alcohol consumption and regulation.

Valverde, Gilbert A. (2004).  Curriculum Convergence in Chile: The Global and Local Context of Reforms in Curriculum Policy  Comparative Education Review, 48, 2. 

In the 14 years since Chile's return to democracy, educational reform has figured prominently in the social policy agenda. As is true throughout Latin America, Chilean policy makers have placed the quality of educational opportunities among their main concerns. Having previously focused on the numerical expansion of enrollment, Chile's leadership now prioritizes the quality of school outcomes. To effect improvement in quality, a range of policy tools have been brought into play. These have included initiatives in strengthening the most poorly performing schools nationwide, improving schools in rural areas, establishing experimental secondary schools, reforming pre-and in-service teacher training, and extending the school day. These initiatives rely on the actions of a wide array of agents. In addition to Ministry actions, they include efforts of a network of public and private agencies, nongovernmental organizations, public-private partnerships, and efforts by individual schools. International development assistance has also been an important partner in educational reform. Chilean schools are funded through a national system of monthly, attendance-based subsidies, which are analogous to vouchers. They may be managed by municipalities, private sponsors, or various religious organizations. The Chilean educational system is an intricate network of partnerships involving private and public agencies, central, regional and municipal governments; domestic and international foundations; and international, intergovernmental organizations--all acting simultaneously. Such a complex structure of simultaneous reforms and developing partnerships as seen in Chile raises a key question for comparativists. How are the actions of different educational initiatives and institutions structured and sustained?

Van Der Riet, Mary; Knoetze, Jan (2004).  Help Seeking Patterns in Urban and Rural Youth in Two South African Provinces: A Socio-Contextual View  School Psychology International, 25, 2. 

The help seeking patterns of 139 secondary school youth between the ages of 14 and 22 in two peri-urban and one rural secondary school in the Eastern Cape, and one urban and one rural secondary school in KwaZulu-Natal were studied. Youth were interviewed in focus groups about their problems and whether or not they seek help for these problems. Possibilities of, and problems with, help resources were also discussed. Data were analysed using qualitative data analysis software and interpreted in terms of the contextual dynamics which facilitate or hinder access to help seeking resources. This study illustrates the intricacy of help seeking behaviour. Contextual factors were found to be significant mediators of help seeking behaviour.

Van Eck, Rick; Marvin, Eric; Burr-McNeal, Blake; Jones, Marshall; Lowther, Deborah (2001).  Student Technology Assistant Programs. 

Schools face significant challenges in implementing computing technology within their curriculum. When technology support falters, the integrity of a school district's entire technology program is at risk. Teachers who have invested time to develop lesson plans using technology, especially those who are still newcomers, are less likely to continue to invest their energies if they cannot count on their computers to be up and running. When parents ask their children how computers are used in the classroom, or when parents visit the classroom, they may discern little or no technology use. These lapses may diminish the community support that is necessary for continuation or expansion of the district's technology program. The purpose of this article is to describe how Student Technology Assistant (STA) programs can help schools, in particular rural school districts, solve some of these problems. One danger in implementing a STAA program is that the educational needs of the students may become lost in the shuffle of administering the program. Before turning to specific programs, this paper examines this danger more closely. Then, a definition of a successful STA program is given. First steps in establishing such a program are discussed, operational considerations are identified, and finally, six successful models are examined. | [FULL TEXT]

Van Vorst, Rebecca F.; Crane, Lori A.; Barton, Phoebe Lindsey; Kutner, Jean S.; Kallail, K. James; Westfall, John M. (2006).  Barriers to Quality Care for Dying Patients in Rural Communities  Journal of Rural Health, 22, 3. 

Context: Barriers to providing optimal palliative care in rural communities are not well understood. Purpose: To identify health care personnel's perceptions of the care provided to dying patients in rural Kansas and Colorado and to identify barriers to providing optimal care. Methods: An anonymous self-administered survey was sent to health care personnel throughout 2 rural practice-based research networks. Targeted personnel included clinicians, nurses, medical assistants, chaplains, social workers, administrators, and ancillary staff, who worked at hospice organizations, hospitals, ambulatory clinics, public health agencies, home health agencies, and nursing homes. Findings: Results from 363 completed surveys indicated that most health care personnel were satisfied with the palliative care being provided in their health care facilities (84%) and that most were comfortable helping dying patients transition from a curative to a palliative focus of care (87%). Yet, many reported that the palliative care provided could be improved and many reported that family members' avoidance of issues around dying (60%) was a barrier to providing optimal care in rural health care facilities. Conclusions: Findings suggest that health care personnel perceive they are effective at providing palliative care in their rural health care facilities, yet face barriers to providing optimal end-of-life care. Results of this study suggest that differences in training and experience may influence health care personnel's perceptions of the existing barriers. It may be important in rural areas to customize interventions to both the professional role and the site of care.

(2006).  Various Documents Related to Chinese Education  Chinese Education and Society, 39, 6. 

This article presents various documents related to Chinese education. These include: (1) Qinghua University Professor Chen Danqing's Letter of Resignation; (2) Declaration by Beijing University Professor He Weifang Suspending Acceptance of Master's-Level Students; (3) An Open Letter by Five Veteran Educators Appealing for Fairness in Education; (4) How Heads of Education Offices See Quality Education; and (5) A Day in the Life of Guoguo. [This article is excerpted from the "Chinese Education Blue Book" ("Zhongguo Jiaoyu Lanpi Shi") (Beijing: Social Sciences Academic Press, 2006). Translated by William Crawford.]

Verstegen, Deborah A. (2006).  A Framework for Determining the Cost of an Adequate Education: A Tale of Two States  Journal of Education Finance, 32, 2. 

Adequacy is a key issue propelled by high court decisions across the states. Initially the equity of funding systems that resulted in "savage inequalities" between school districts within a state based on property wealth was at issue. However, just since 1989, with the state supreme court decision in Kentucky finding the system unconstitutional and inadequate, more than two dozen state supreme court decisions have been issued on the constitutionality of the education system, the education finance system, or both. Most recent high court decisions have favored plaintiffs, and few have been decided on behalf of defendants. According to some scholars, the trend toward plaintiff victories represents a movement to secure, in policy and the law, the benefits of an equal educational opportunity on behalf of poor children and youths. A key issue is the funding level necessary to support an adequate and equitable state education system. This has been the subject of a new generation of finance studies on the cost of an adequate education that have been conducted in about 37 states. This article provides a tale of two states where adequacy studies have been conducted and details the backgrounds, methods, and outcomes of those studies. In the southeastern state, the research was undertaken for the legislature, whereas in the northeastern state it was performed for the judiciary. However, in both states a six-step methodological framework was used.

Vest, Jay Hansford C. (2006).  A Tutelo Inquiry: The Ethnohistory of Chief Samuel Johns's Correspondence with Dr. Frank G. Speck  American Indian Culture and Research Journal, 30, 2. 

Obscured by the invasive expansion of an aggressive Iroquois confederacy, there exists a remnant population of eastern Siouan peoples known as Tutelos amid the Six Nations Reserve at Grand River, Ontario. While there is a general dearth of source materials for the Tutelo Indians of Virginia, there is an interesting correspondence between a Native elder at Grand River and Dr. Frank G. Speck that took place during the years 1934 and 1935. These letters, composed for Chief Samuel Johns, reveal insight concerning the enduring complexity of American Indian identity. In noting this ethnohistorical puzzle, it is the purpose of this article to explore and examine the Tutelo initiative and voice in asserting a unique ethnic identity amid the Hodenosaunee, or Great League of the Iroquois.

Viadero, Debra (2004).  The Skills Gap: Has the Time Come for Education Schools to Overhaul the Way They Train Education Researchers?  Education Week, 23 n16 p30-31, 33 Jan 2004. 

Although education researchers have spent years pondering what makes a good school or a good lesson, not much thought has gone into what makes a good researcher. Does the job require extensive training in a wide range of research methods? Or is it better to become an expert in just one? Should a budding education researcher steep himself or herself in a particular discipline, such as psychology or sociology, or is it best to become a generalist? Is there a core of knowledge that every researcher in education ought to master? There's no consensus on the answers, but the questions are being weighed in national meetings, in foundation-driven efforts, and on campuses nationwide. The topic has taken on new urgency as the federal government campaigns to transform education into an "evidence-based" practice, with a heavy emphasis on research that meets the definition of "scientifically-based." Grover Whitehurst, Director of the Institute of Education Sciences, proposed earmarking $18 million in federal grants to underwrite new pre- and post-doctoral training programs for researchers interested in studying education. The question addressed here is "Are education schools up to the task?" Appended to this article is "Researchers-in-Training," by Heather D. Hill, David S. Lustick, and David F. Feldon, who describe their experiences in education research.

Viadero, Debra (2005).  A Civic Education  Education Week, 24, 31. 

After meeting as a community to set policy on schools and other matters since 1766, residents of Deerfield, New Hampshire, are altering that democratic process to make room for modern demands. This article describes the decision in Deerfield to discontinue holding the traditional New England annual school district meeting. Instead, by a thin margin, Deerfield residents voted to follow a 1997 New Hampshire law known as Senate Bill 2, which allows towns to opt to break their public-voting meetings into two events: a hearing where citizens hear the issues and decide which ones to bring to a vote, and a separate session where voters simply show up throughout the day to cast ballots. This article describes and compares how the residents of Deerfield approach addressing various education policy issues under the old and new systems.

Viadero, Debra (2008).  Poor Rural Children Attract Close Study  Education Week, 27 n22 p1, 14 Feb 2008. 

Growing up poor in isolated rural areas and small towns is qualitatively different from growing up poor in the city. Yet most of what experts know about the effects of poverty on children's development comes from studies conducted in big cities. Now, an ambitious project run by universities in Pennsylvania and North Carolina is putting what some scholars feel is a long-overdue research focus on disadvantaged children in less-populated stretches of the country. Known as the Family Life Project, the study began in 2002 and set out a year later to track the lives of 1,292 children born between September 2003 and the following September. The project, which won a $12.8 million grant last month from the National Institutes of Health to continue the next five-year phase of its work, is the largest, most comprehensive and representative study to date of children's development in rural America, according to Lynne Vernon-Feagans, one of the principal investigators. If the project continues to get financial support, researchers hope to track the children in the study, most of whom are now preschoolers, into adulthood. Meanwhile, they will gather information on how the children interact with their families, what their homes, schools, and preschools are like, and the kinds of educational resources available to the children as they grow up. The scholars will also gauge children's cognitive development, literacy skills, temperament, and academic performance--and even take physiological measures of their stress levels.

Vias, Alexander C. (2004).  Bigger Stores, More Stores, or No Stores: Paths of Retail Restructuring in Rural America  Journal of Rural Studies, 20, 3. 

Changes such as the development of large international retail chains, retail concentration, locational changes, technological innovation, new labor practices, and the increasing scale of individual stores, have revolutionized the retail sector. This broad restructuring will have profound impacts in rural America because employment in retail is a major component of the rural economy. Presented here is an analysis on the varied paths of retail restructuring between 1988 and 1999, with a focus on changes in the geographic distribution and size of retail establishments in America's nonmetropolitan counties. The results show that the restructuring process in retail differs throughout the US, and that broad generalizations on the nature of restructuring, and its impacts, must be reconsidered.

Villalba, Jose A.; Brunelli, Maria; Lewis, Lucy; Wachter, Carrie (2007).  Examining the Academic and Personal-Social Experiences of Latina/o Children in Southeastern U.S. Rural, Burgeoning Latino Communities  Rural Educator, 28, 3. 

Between the 1990 and 2000 U.S. Census several Southeastern states, largely void of a permanent Latino population prior to 1990, witnessed significantly large increases in the number of Latina/o residents, particularly in rural communities. This study was designed to ascertain the impressions of non-Latina/o teachers and school counselors working with Latina/o youngsters in elementary school settings in these communities through the use of focus group methodologies. Four general themes were identified using the Consensual Qualitative Research method of analysis: (I) Academic factors affecting Latina/o children in burgeoning communities; (II) School interventions used for addressing academic factors; (III) Latina/o children and family characteristics in burgeoning communities; and (IV) personal-social-economic factors impacting Latina/o children in burgeoning communities.  | [FULL TEXT]