Other Resources

Coalition Seeks To Improve Rural Schools

Organizations Concerned about Rural Education is a coalition of more than two dozen education, farm, rural, technology and utility organizations that share a "common concern for the economic future of rural America, particularly, the education of rural children." The coalition is dedicated to the improvement of public education and economic development in rural America. Its Web site provides information on "what you can do to improve schools in your community, what your neighbors are already doing, and what is being done throughout rural America."

Rural School and Community Trust

NEA supports the efforts of the Rural School and Community Trust to enlarge student learning and improve community life by strengthening relationships between rural schools and communities. The Trust supports "young people and their teachers who use community as a laboratory for learning" and assists "rural citizens in developing policies that address the unique issues of rural schooling and to build knowledgeable, effective persistent advocates for rural children, schools and communities."

National Research Center on Rural Education Support

The National Research Center on Rural Education Support studies ways to help children in rural areas do better in school and continue their education. Its projected projects include training teachers to work as "intervention specialists" and studying the effectiveness of online learning in rural schools. The Center, established in 2004 with funding from the Institute for Educational Sciences of the U.S. Department of Education, is based at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

NRCRES programs focus on:

• retention of qualified teachers
• student achievement and dropout
• availability of and access to opportunities for advanced placement courses
• improvement in teacher quality through professional development
  
  

ECS Offers Rural Education Resources

The Education Commission of the States (ECS) offers a variety of resources for those involved in and interested in rural education issues (select "rural" from list and click "Go to Issue"). The ECS Web site includes summaries of relevant state programs, selected research and readings, and a list of other Web sites that address rural education needs and issues.