Report of Rural Education Advisory Committee

Out of concern that agencies with the power and ability to provide much-needed research and development resources to help solve rural education problems will likely put their efforts into solving more visible urban problems, the Northwest Regional Educational Laboratory's Rural Education Advisory committee met in 1983 to justify the need for specific and individual research and development attention for rural schools. The committee defined rural schools as being outside the regular service boundaries of metropolitan areas; averaging no more than one classroom per grade level per school site; being geographically isolated; and being defined by state law as rural, remote, isolated, or small. The committee's rationale for research and development attention for rural schools included lack of the human, fiscal, community, and professional development resources frequently available in metropolitan schools; inadequate teacher preparation for rural teaching; differing administrative roles and responsibilities; differing staff relationships; unique personal and learning characteristics of rural students; rural population increases; inadequate preparation for technology; and inability to duplicate metropolitan education in rural areas. The committee recommended that research and development for rural areas focus on finance, staff training and attrition, population trends, and access to information. (SB)