Volume 28, Issue 1    Fall 2006

Table of Contents

Do Smaller Schools Really Reduce the "Power Rating" of Poverty?  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1
Theodore Coladarci

ABSTRACT: The percentage of variance in student achievement that is explained by student SES—“poverty’s power rating,” as some call it—tends to be less among smaller schools than among larger schools.  Smaller schools, we are told, are able to somehow disrupt the association between SES and student achievement.  Using eighth-grade data for 215 public schools in Maine, I explored the hypothesis that this finding is in part a statistical artifact of the lower reliability of school-aggregated student achievement in smaller schools.  This hypothesis was supported for mathematics achievement but seemingly not for reading achievement.  Implications are discussed.

NCLB Technology and a Rural School: A Case Study  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
Theresa A. Cullen, Thomas A. Brush, Timothy J. Frey, Rebecca S. Hinshaw & Scott J. Warren

ABSTRACT: The requirements of the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 (NCLB) have presented special challenges and opportunities for rural schools (Reeves, 2003). Researchers have suggested that one way rural schools may be able to overcome these challenges is through an increase in the level of technology integration in their school (Collins & Dewees, 2001). This case study reports on one school’s attempt to use grant resources funded through NCLB to integrate specific instructional technologies to facilitate increased student achievement. Through interviews and observations, the roles, attitudes, and difficulties of teachers and administrators in implementing a technology initiative in a rural middle school were observed, examined and discussed. Emerging themes included issues related to teacher ownership of the technology, teacher feelings of power and participation, differing goals of teachers and administrators, technical difficulties, school wide support, and changes in school culture.

Challenges and Changes Faced by Rural Superintendents . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17
Marcia L. Lamkin

ABSTRACT: This research study was designed to build grounded theory about the challenges faced by rural superintendents.  Participating rural superintendents identified five areas that presented a challenge but that also applied to superintendents in other settings: school law, finance, personnel, government mandates, and district or board policies.  Further, these superintendents identified challenges related specifically to the rural setting and to their lack of acculturation to the demands of rural school leadership.  Focus group research conducted among rural superintendents in New York, Pennsylvania, and Tennessee indicated that the challenges of the rural superintendency were distinct enough to warrant some specialized preparation for such service.

 
Dual Enrollment: Measuring Factors for Rural High School Student Participation . . 25
Todd E. Johnson, Michael Brophy, & Paul E. Pitre

ABSTRACT: The purpose of this study was to explore the reasons 162 rural area high school students participate in the dual enrollment program. Dual enrollment programs allow high school students to enroll in college courses for credit prior to high school graduation with local school districts covering the cost of tuition.  Participants in this study were recruited from two rural agricultural counties from Washington State attending a local college. Exploratory factor analysis revealed that dual enrollment participation was related to academics, financial, social, and choice reasons. Results showed no significant differences between 11^th and 12^th grade participants regarding financial and choice reasons to participate. However, statistically significant differences were found regarding academic and social reasons for participation. Implications for rural educators and recommendations for future research regarding dual enrollment programs are discussed.

Science Center Partnership: Outreach to Students and Teachers  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33 Linda E. James, Shawn Laatsch, Michael J. Bossé, Robin Rider & Cynthia J. Anderson

ABSTRACT: A university, medical school, and science center along with numerous K-12 public schools, university departments, local businesses, funded grant projects, and federal, state and private grants all work in concert to produce a unique partnership focusing on outreach to public school teachers and students.  This article shares the history, work, vision, and future expectations of this partnership and proposes this model as one which can be replicated elsewhere.

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