Volume 26, Issue 3    Spring 2005

Table of Contents

Convention Update  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  iv

Rural Research Brief: Special Challenges of the
“No Child Left Behind” Act for Rural Schools and Districts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 Lorna Jimerson

ABSTRACT: Across the country, states are concentrating efforts to meet the requirements and the spirit of No Child Left Behind (NCLB). The implementation provisions and timelines are demanding and challenging for all districts. NCLB is particularly daunting, however, for rural and small districts. This paper outlines the characteristics of rural schools and districts that create special problems in implementing the legislation and summarizes the major challenges of the NCLB for these districts.

Meeting the Learning Needs of Students: A Rural High-Need School District’s
Systemic Leadership Development Initiative. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  5
Tricia Browne-Ferrigno and Brenda Maynard

ABSTRACT: The Principals Excellence Program (PEP), a cohort-based professional development project for administrator-certified practitioners, is one of 24 projects across the United States supported by federal funds from the No Child Left Behind legislation. The three-year program is conducted through a partnership between Pike County School District, a high-need rural system in Central Appalachia, and the University of Kentucky, located 150 miles away. A major goal for PEP is improved school leadership focused on enhanced student learning. Findings in this paper include in-progress evaluations of program impact toward (a) preparing school leaders to promote learning success for all, (b) engaging cohort members in authentic practice with mentor principals, (c) addressing high-stakes accountability issues, and (d) delivering effective leadership preparation. Perspectives from all stakeholder groups (i.e., cohort participants, mentor principals, district leaders, program instructors) are integrated to provide holistic assessment of PEP.

Teachers’ Decision-Making about Place-Based Education and State Testing . . . .  19
Timothy G. Thomas

ABSTRACT: This qualitative study examined the effects of a high-stakes, standardized test on teachers' instructional planning at a rural school. The research addressed this question: How do mandated curricular standards affect teachers' instructional planning and content selection? Ethnographic interviews (Creswell, 1998) examined four secondary teachers' perceptions of the effects of high-stakes standardized tests on their work. Case study methodology (Yin, 1994) guided the analysis of the data. Each participant had several years' experience teaching at Mollusk Island School, and each teacher had previously included place-based lessons (e.g., environmental studies, cultural history) in his/her repertoire. Ultimately, the study explored how a community maintenance function of small rural schools might be affected by state legislation for standardized accountability.

Comprehensive School Guidance Programs in Nebraska:
Implications for Rural Schools  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  25 Paul Barnes, Thomas R. Scofield, David D. Hof, and Donna Vrbka

ABSTRACT: Archival data from an in-state survey of 428 elementary and secondary school counselors completed by the Nebraska Department of Education regarding comprehensive guidance programs was reviewed for relevant information. This information is discussed relative to the current views and knowledge regarding the state of comprehensive developmental guidance and their implications for school counselors and administrators.

A Hybrid Way of Learning: Taught at Home and Taught at School . . . . . . . . . . . . .  31
Charles Waggoner and Sandra Harris

ABSTRACT: There can be a natural conflict between home schoolers and the school district’s attempt to restrict their freedom.  Home schooling is an age-old educational method that was primarily utilized by parents seeking to teach their own children at home in order to restore traditional values and bring what they perceived to be an order to the family.  Presently, a few parents for reasons unique to themselves are now requesting home schooling for other than religious instruction.  This type of parental request may place administrators and school boards under rigorous community and faculty scrutiny.  Blueville High School is completely fictitious as are the names referenced.  The events did occur.

Expressed Values of 4-H Adult Volunteer Leaders:
Implications for Rural Teachers and 4-H Staff  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35
Janet Usinger, Don Breazeale, and Marilyn Smith

ABSTRACT: Historically, the collaborative efforts between rural teachers and 4-H have provided enhanced opportunities for youth that would not have been otherwise possible.  As resources continue to diminish in rural communities, this collaboration is valuable to both schools and the 4-H organization. Currently rural schools are concentrating on the increased demand for academic accountability through performance testing and other evaluation instruments. This trend has resulted in less time for the elective outlets that have traditionally been an important part of school. At a time when 4-H could help fill an important gap in rural communities, changes within the organization have left some volunteers feeling overwhelmed.  This article offers a theoretical framework for understanding the feelings and values of rural 4-H volunteers during a period of dramatic organizational change.

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