The Rural Educator, Vol. 29 Issue 1

Volume 29, Issue 1 Fall 2007

Guest Editors

Mary Lou Gammon, Northern Arizona University
NREA President, 2000

V. Pauline Hodges, Oklahoma Panhandle State University
NREA President, 1998

Special Issue: Celebrating 100 Years of the NREA

Table of Contents (These articles are not yet available on-line)

Retrospective: 100 Years of NREA

History of The Rural Educator . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1
V. Pauline Hodges

Development of a Journal Relating to Rural Schools. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
Richard I. Fisher

From the editors: A View from the Past . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
Mary Lou Gammon and V. Pauline Hodges

Leadership in Rural Schools

School Leadership in the Rural Context . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
Mary Lou Gammon

NO ABSTRACT

Killing Mayberry: The Crisis in Rural American Education . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
James A. Bryant

ABSTRACT: This article provides an overview of the turbulent and challenging times facing teachers and administrators in rural schools. The article examines literature from over the past decade to paint a full picture of the economic and social pressures exerting themselves in rural America and the impact these forces are having in rural schools. This work argues that rural education has been ignored too long by policy makers and even many Americans, and that this crime of omission has had disastrous consequences for many small communities. The article concludes with an examination of some of the tentative but hopeful steps that are being taken to address the crisis in rural education.

Leadership and Rural School Boards: Utah Data . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
Curtis Van Allen and Stan M. Schmidt

NO ABSTRACT

The Emergence of the CE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
Gayla Fredrickson

No ABSTRACT: Reprinted from The Rural Educator, Volume 24, Number 1, Fall 2001.

Educational Renewal in Rural South Dakota. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22
Mary Stangohr

No ABSTRACT: Reprinted from The Rural Educator, Volume 21, Number 2, Fall 1999.

Parents’ Perceptions of the Rural Bus Ride. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25
Rob Rampage and Aimee Howley

ABSTRACT: This article reports findings from a study of the perceptions of parents about the experience of long bus rides on their children. Twenty-six parents, whose homes were located on the longest bus route in a rural Midwestern school district, provided interviews regarding the experiences of a total of 37 students. In the analysis of the interview data, three themes emerged: (1) atmosphere on the bus, (2) length of the bus ride, and (3) safety. Notably parents expressed concerns about the fact that long bus rides exposed their young children to the unsuitable language and behavior of older students.

Technology in Rural Schools

The Coming of Age with Technology in Rural Schools . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31
V. Pauline Hodges

NO ABSTRACT

   Technology Empowered Transitions:
   Curriculum, Teacher’s Practices and Change . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37
       R. Stewart Mayers and Michael F. Desiderio

NO ABSTRACT

   The Essential Role of Integrating Technology Content and Skills into University
    Principal Preparation Programs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42
     Kathy Dale, Robert Moody, Mike Slattery, and Regi Wieland

ABSTRACT: "Just-in-time" delivery of goods and services was the call to action phrase of the 1990's, but in the 21"' Century, just-in-time is too late. University leaders in principal preparation programs must not only respond to the call of the field, but also anticipate the needs even before school administrators recognize the content and skills necessary with which to lead. As building principals become increasingly accountable for integrating technology into instruction and infrastructure, principal preparation programs are more accountable to prepare principals to succeed in their leadership roles, acknowledge the impact of principals on student achievement and teacher performance, and accept our responsibility to reinvent preparation programs instead of just reforming them.

Rural Research Brief

The Four Day School Week: Information and Recommendations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48
Andrea D. Beesley and Carmen Anderson

ABSTRACT: ABSTRACT: Within the past three decades, a number of schools and districts, particularly those in rural areas, have moved toward a four-day school week. Recent articles and reports indicate that there are now schools with four-day weeks in Colorado, Wyoming, South Dakota, Louisiana, New Mexico, Idaho, and Nebraska. The reasons for this shift include saving money in the face of declining enrollments and avoiding interruptions and absences due to sports and activities. Districts contemplating the four-day week need current information about this alternative schedule and how it is working in schools around the country. This report is intended to summarize recent research and other articles on the four-day week and make recommendations to district personnel on whether and how it should be implemented.

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Editorial Advisory Board

Mike Boone
Scott Ferrin
Mary Lou Gammon
Jean Haar
Hobart Harmon
Patricia L. Hardré
Pauline Hodges
Jody Isernhagen
Susan Day Scherz
Boyd Dressler

Editorial Staff

Patti L. Chance,
Editor

Pamela Salazar,
Associate Editor

Larry Enochs,
Research Column Editor

Robin M. Roberts,
Editorial Assistant