bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Considering regular classroom options for students with severe disabilities in rural areas
Authors: Zeph Lucille A.
Published: April 2017

The education of students with severe disabilities presents unique challenges to school districts in rural, remote, and sparsely populated areas. In most cases, the models that have been embraced by larger districts do not generalize to districts where low incidence and geographical barriers are major obstacles. This article offers six service delivery options which utilize regular classrooms as a component in the education of students with severe disabilities. These six options are: 1) team-teaching, 2) parallel teaching, 3) regular classroom-based tutorial, 4) separate tutorial with regular classroom base, 5) regular classroom placement with support services, and 6) regular classroom placement with dual-certified teacher. The characteristics of each model are described.
A comparison of occupational therapy practice in rural and urban school systems
Authors: Kanny Elizabeth M. , Crowe Terry K.
Published: April 2017

This study compares rural and urban occupational therapy practice in school systems. Two hundred and fifty-two occupational therapists in the Northwest region of the United States were surveyed. Service delivery mechanisms, caseloads, continuing education, and academic preparation were issues of concern, especially for rural therapists. Implications for future occupational therapy practice in rural school systems are discussed.
A school-based enterprise: The Saint Pauls, North Carolina experience
Authors: Paquin Thomas F.
Published: April 2017

The Way-Off Broadway Deli is a small business venture in rural Saint Pauls, North Carolina, that is operated and managed by the business students of Saint Pauls High School. The enterprise, a collaborative venture on the part of students, school administration, and the community, serves as a laboratory for the business education program, a source of much need employment for students, and a symbol of economic development in the community.
Satellite delivery of graduate courses for teachers of gifted students
Authors: Savage Luise B.
Published: April 2017

In the summer of 1988, a special grant from the West Virginia Board of Regents was obtained by the author to deliver a course on curriculum and strategies for teaching gifted children and youth via satellite television. The course used a combination of telelectures and tele-conferences by master teachers and university professors to develop an understanding of several curricular models in current use.
Delivering Independent Living Services in Rural Communities: Options and Alternatives
Authors: Potter Carol G. , Smith Quentin W. , Quart Huong , Nosek Margaret A.
Published: April 2017

The authors describe independent living initiatives in two rural communities, chosen because of their contrast in approach to reducing barriers to independence. Various factors in rural areas present obstacles to independent living, including lack of transportation, reduced employment opportunities, and architectural inaccessibility in older buildings. Results of a follow-up study of two rural independent living demonstration projects established by the Independent Living Research Utilization program in Houston, Texas are presented. In brief, people in Town One successfully established and continue to operate an independent living center; the other site (Town Two) integrated independent living philosophy and practices into the existing service network. Information is provided concerning demographic characteristics as well as existing services related to independent living. The authors suggest that several approaches for reducing barriers to independence are successful for delivering independent living services in rural communities.
Children with Disabilities in Rural Areas: The Critical Role of the Special Education Teacher in Promoting Independence
Authors: Smith Quentin W. , Fasser Carl E. , Wallace Stacy , Richards Laurel K. , Potter Carol G.
Published: April 2017

Although data on the subject are incomplete, available national data suggest that somewhat more than one million children with disabilities live in rural areas. These children face the special challenges of preparing for community life in environments where service systems are inadequate if not totally absent, funding for educational and other programs is typically meager, and persons with knowledge of disability-related services and issues—including the independent living philosophy and its application in the community—may be unavailable. It is important, therefore, that special education teachers become familiar with the independent living philosophy and its application for people with both physical and cognitive disabilities.
Co-workers as Trainers for Entry-level Workers: A Competitive Employment Model for Individuals with Disabilities
Authors: Curl Rita M. , Hall Shanna M. , Chisholm Linda A. , Rule Sarah
Published: April 2017

A competitive employment transition model for individuals with mental retardation, learning disabilities, and behavior problems was evaluated in northern Utah. Employees in community businesses were taught to implement structured instructional and evaluation procedures to provide on-the-job training to disabled trainees. The results showed that co-workers positively influenced disabled workers' success on the job by teaching and monitoring their performance. Further, co-worker trainers' involvement positively impacted transition specialists' ability to provide placement, training, and support services to workers with disabilities in rural settings.
The Personal Assistance Dilemma for People with Disabilities Living in Rural Areas
Authors: Nosek Margaret A.
Published: April 2017

Persons with physical disabilities who live in rural areas and require personal assistance in order to function face almost overwhelming barriers to pursuing independent lives. From the time of onset of disability, families assume the major responsibility for meeting their personal assistance needs. Often individuals with disabilities are poorly prepared to manage this need for themselves, lacking information and experiencing severe limitations in financial and human resources. The author presents information on personal assistance and methods used by people with physical disabilities to meet their need for personal assistance, and discusses the special assistance-related problems faced by people living in rural areas.
Meeting the Speech and Language Needs of Minority Children in Rural Settings
Authors: Campbell Lynda R.
Published: April 2017

Although data on the subject are incomplete, available national data suggest that somewhat more than one million children with disabilities live in rural areas. These children face the special challenges of preparing for community life in environments where service systems are inadequate if not totally absent, funding for educational and other programs is typically meager, and persons with knowledge of disability-related services and issues—including the independent living philosophy and its application in the community—may be unavailable. It is important, therefore, that special education teachers become familiar with the independent living philosophy and its application for people with both physical and cognitive disabilities.
Empowering Teachers with Strategies for Efficient Learning and Functioning through Video-Assisted Staff Development
Authors: Welch Marshall , Gibb Gordon S. , Egan M. Winston
Published: April 2017

This article describes a video-assisted staff development program that can be delivered at the building or district level. This report includes: (a) a critical perspective of staff development programs, (b) reconceptualization of staff development, (c) the use of video-mediated staff development, (d) a service delivery model known as “Professor Plus”, (e) the content of the video-assisted SELF training program, (f) the results of the program's pilot field test and, (g) the results of afield-based investigation designed to assess the effectiveness of the video-assisted SELF training program. The article concludes with a discussion of implications and future directions for this type of delivery model for staff development.
Children's Voice Problems: The Frog in Your Classroom
Authors: Leeper Linda H.
Published: April 2017

Children's voice disorders can interfere with their ability to interact successfully in the classroom. Moreover, vocal dysfunction can signal the underlying presence of chronic or incipient illness. Although many such problems can be remediated, this population is typically underserved in many rural public school settings due to personnel shortages and in-frequent contact between classroom teachers and speech/language pathologists. Suggestions are made for increasing the efficiency of identification of voice-disordered children and for reduction of such problems through classroom prevention activities.
Project TRAIN: Training Rural Area Interventionists to meet Needs
Authors: Reid Barbara J. , Bross Mary
Published: April 2017

Project TRAIN is a federally funded, personnel preparation grant that is housed in the Early Childhood: Exceptional Educational Needs training program in the Department of Special Education at the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater. The grant, which was funded under time rural competition, provides preservice training at the graduate level for early intervention professionals interested in working in rural areas with infants and toddlers who have special needs and with the families of these children. This article includes a description of Project TRAIN in terms of rationale, purposes, and expected outcomes. The Project TRAIN competencies within the context of the roles and skills needed to provide quality intervention, and SIGNAL, which is a performance-based evaluation instrument for guiding professional development, are described. Additionally, the competency-based training program is highlighted.
Working with Families to Develop and Implement an Individualized Family Service Plan: A Rural Inservice Training Model
Authors: Brotherson Mary Jane , Brady Sharon J. , Tagher Michele R.
Published: April 2017

Public Law 99-457, Part H, Program for Handicapped Infants and Toddlers, has created a significant challenge and need for personnel training. This article describes an inservice training project designed to develop the skills of rural professionals in developing and implementing family-focused Individualized Family Service Plans (IFSPs). The primary goals of the training are to provide early interventionists from numerous disciplines with a philosophy, a process framework for developing IFSPs with families, and to teach the skills needed to implement that process. The results of the training with professionals from six regional training workshops serving rural families are presented.
Cleaning Out the Wheelbarrow: Planning Appropriate Assessments for Transition
Authors: Finn David M. , Tazioli Pam
Published: April 2017

This article examines the interagency transition process and the contribution of efficient assessment procedures to that process. Common issues which interfere with transition are discussed. Methods for identifying specific problems and a resource for strategies are described, as well as components of assessment tools that facilitate interagency transition.
Instructional Supervision in Special Education: Strategies for Rural Programs
Authors: Billingsley Bonnie S. , Jones Philip R.
Published: April 2017

Instructional supervision in special education is a critical function of administrative units. However, providing instructional leadership in rural areas can be problematic due to low numbers of children with disabilities, few supervisory staff, greater teacher needs, and lack of perceived alternatives. This article provides a framework for supervisory tasks in special education, outlines funding and organizational alternatives for providing supervision in rural areas, and suggests specific strategies for dealing with barriers to supervision in rural programs.
Appalachian Special Education Students Dropping Out of School: Looking at the Whos and Whys
Authors: Gruenhagen Katheen A.
Published: April 2017

Although the literature suggests there is a high rate of dropping out of school even among students receiving special education, there is a paucity of research dealing with circumstances surrounding the special education student who leaves school prematurely. This study investigated the characteristics, reasons, and unmet school needs of students with disabilities who have dropped out of school in seventeen southern Appalachian counties. Data were collected on 135 student dropouts by polling those teachers who reported having dropouts. Results indicated that the average dropout was a 16 year old white male who was entering the ninth grade and who had not previously been employed. Future dropout prevention programs for this population therefore should begin before high school, be geared toward white males, and include instruction in the world of work.
Peer Collaboration as a Means to Facilitate Collegial Support to Reduce Teacher Isolation and Facilitate Classroom Problem-Solving in Rural Areas
Authors: Johnson Lawrence J. , Pugach Marleen C. , Cook Rebecca
Published: April 2017

This manuscript discusses some of the unique problems of accommodating the needs of mildly handicapped students in rural settings and the importance of collegial support in overcoming these problems. A procedure entitled Peer Collaboration is presented as an example of facilitating collegial support and mutually problem solving; research regarding its effectiveness is summarized.
Occupational Stress Levels among Rural Teachers in the Areas of Mental Retardation, Learning Disabilities, and Emotional Conflict
Authors: Russell Tommy , Wiley Susan
Published: April 2017

The purpose of the study was to compare occupational stress levels of rural educators in the areas of mental retardation, learning disabilities, and emotional conflict. Occupational stress levels were measured by the Teacher Stress Inventory (Fimian, 1985), which was developed and validated for teachers of exceptional children.

The sample consisted of 154 randomly selected and specifically selected rural special educators in the 21 rural counties with set defined parameters of a population of 50,000 or less.

The Teacher Stress Inventory was designed to assess stress levels of special educators. Subscales of the Teacher Stress Inventory were personal/professional stressors, professional distress, discipline/motivation, emotional manifestations, biobehavloral manifestations, physiological/fatigue manifestations, and time management. The data were analyzed using the one-way analysis of variance and the multivariate analysis of variance procedures. No significant differences were evident between mean stress scores and mean subscale scores of the three Identified groups.
Planning Transition to Employment in Rural Areas for Students with Disablities: Start with a Good Local Fit
Authors: Coombe Edmund
Published: April 2017

During the past decade programs for transitioning students with disabilities to employment have been started throughout the country. Many of these programs, including those in rural areas, have not really met the needs of the students or the community. Part of the reason for the lack of success of these programs can be traced to inadequate initial planning.

The responsibility for good transition program planning in rural areas typically must fall to the local special education supervisor. This paper addresses some of the problems unique to rural transition program planning and offers some specific and general planning procedures which may be helpful to the supervisor.
Vocational Education for Students with Special Needs in Rural America: Problems and Solutions
Authors: Rojewski Jay W.
Published: April 2017

Changes within society, the work force, and education all contribute to a need for appropriate employment options upon graduation for students with special needs living in rural America. Due in part to these dramatic changes, vocational education programming is becoming increasingly important to these students. This article examines issues surrounding the delivery of vocational education to students with disabilities in rural communities. These issues are discussed in terms of the unique challenges and opportunities encountered by rural vocational special educators and the students they serve. Implications for current and future service delivery options for vocational education are also discussed.
Training Administrators of Rural School Districts to Improve Programs for Students with Severe Disabilities
Authors: Demchak Maryann
Published: April 2017

Providing appropriate training and ongoing feedback to teachers of students with severe disabilities can be a challenge In rural school districts. The pyramid model for staff training is proposed as a viable method of providing continuing training and feedback to these teachers. This model would allow supervisory/administrative staff to receive training and then to train teachers. The rationale for, and objectives of this model are discussed
The Occupational Stress of First-Year Urban and Rural Special Educational Teachers
Authors: Minner Sam , Lepich Jim
Published: April 2017

A variety of behaviors such as cynicism, depression, and lack of interest in work are associated with a condition known as burnout. This condition is thought to be positively correlated with stress. The stress levels of first year male and female special education teachers working in urban and rural schools were measured. Results indicated that rural teachers were experiencing more stress than urban teachers and women reported higher levels of stress than men. Implications of these findings for those involved in the preservice and inservice training of teachers are discussed.
Closing the Gap: Fostering a Smooth Transition toward Independent Living for the Hearing Impaired Student Entering the Postsecondary Setting
Authors: Scheetz Nanci A.
Published: April 2017

Students entering post-secondary institutions without the mastery of Independent living skills are prone to failure and thus, develop an inability to complete their freshman year. Students with disabilities, in particular hearing loss, are more prone to failure due to their social isolation. The author presents an argument for specific training in the area of life skills and proposes a three-component focus for that training: (a) accessing and utilizing support services, (b) mastering and incorporating daily living skills, and (c) developing and enhancing negotiating skills.
Special Education in Northwest Ohio: A Case Study of Rural Service Delivery Problems.
Authors: Gold Veronica , Russell Steven C. , Williams Ellen U.
Published: April 2017

This article describes the core of a larger study that examined rural special education service delivery problems as perceived by various personnel within County Boards of Education as opposed to, County Boards of Mental Retardation and Developmental Disabilities within a 12-county area of northwest Ohio. By utilizing instrumentation similar to an earlier national study conducted by Helge (1983), responses were compared between agencies within the 12 counties themselves, as well as, parallel comparisons drawn with national outcomes. Limited access to educational support services, geographic isolation, commuting distance, carreer opportunities, burnout, and scarcity of personnel were identified as problem areas. Recommendations that are low-to-no-cost are provided that address each identified problem area within the 12-county region.
Teacher Education in Deafness in Appalachian Kentucky
Authors: Andrews Jean F. , Jaussi Kyle
Published: April 2017

Sociocultural factors effect the learning of deaf and hard-of-hearing (deaf/hh) children. Knowledge and sensitivity to children's home culture can assist the teacher in planning effective lessons. A three year project funded by the U.S. Department of Education is described which prepared 15 teachers of deaf/hh children in southeastern Kentucky. It is suggested that teacher-preparation programs include information on the sociocultural context of the communities where its graduates will work. The needs of preservice teachers for southeast Kentucky are conceptualized into four components: (a) Appalachian history, culture, and language; (b) deafness and learning strategies; (c) deaf culture and American Sign Language; and d) main-streaming competencies. Self-reports by the 15 trainees on their progress in the program are presented along with evaluations of teaching performance by their school supervisors.
A Descriptive Study of Instructional Assistants in Rural and Remote Eastern Oregon: Implications for Professional Development
Authors: Elrod G. Franklin , Insko Lee , Williams Lenny
Published: April 2017

This study focuses on the personal characteristics and background of instructional assistants, their job status, and their professional development in a rural and remote area of eastern Oregon. A model career ladder for instructional assistants is presented.
The Role of Local Transition Councils in Rural Communities
Authors: Clark Gary M. , Mcdonnell John
Published: April 2017

The authors of this article present the role of a rural community transition council. They believe that the feasibility of developing a local transition council in a rural community depends upon an understanding of the context of rural communities and knowledge of the purpose and nature of transition councils. A rural transition council is feasible if there is commitment from all local stakeholders as to the mission or expected outcomes of the council and an understanding of the activities necessary to achieve them. Specific suggestions are provided on improving community cohesiveness and improving community capacity to develop and maintain transition services to youths with disabilities.
Rural vs. Urban: Does it Affect the Transition of Individuals with Disabilities?
Authors: Sitlington Patricia L. , Frank Alan R.
Published: April 2017

The authors of this study compared the adult adjustment of a statewide random sample of 399 graduates and dropouts from high schools in rural areas with the adjustment of a statewide random sample of 541 of their counterparts from high schools in urban areas. These individuals were classified as learning disabled, behaviorally disordered, or mentally disabled. Information is provided on their employment, fringe benefits, living arrangements, and postsecondary education one and three years out of school. An overall composite delineating the level of successful adjustment of these individuals three years after leaving school is also provided.
The Transition Process in Rural Areas: Reviewing Some of the Difficulties
Authors: Wienke Wilfred D. , Coombe Edmund J. , Platt John S.
Published: April 2017

Pervasive difficulties with the transition process in rural areas are reviewed. Challenges for implementation, both apparent and hidden, are described. Some suggestions for improved planning for transition services in rural areas are provided.
Strategies for Developing Rural Transition Programs
Authors: D'alonzo Bruno J. , Giordano Gerard
Published: April 2017

Transition is a process that can encompass the life-span of individuals with disabilities. Through the transition from high-school to community living and employment is critical for persons in rural areas, there are essential stages, such as prevocational training and the dissemination of career information, that should precede transition. Because limited resources can restrict prevocational training in rural areas, strategies for developing prevocational skills in school can be supplemented with community and home-based activities. Strategies for disseminating information about careers and employment in rural areas and philosophies which can be the basis for organizing transition programs are reviewed as well.
Rural School-Community Partnerships: “We Take Care of Our Own!”
Authors: Elrod G. Franklin , Devlin Sandy D. , Obringer S. John
Published: April 2017

The authors of this article present a perspective of developing rural school-community partnerships based upon a synergistic foundation that exists in most rural areas. Indicators of this synergism are identified and specific examples are provided of rural school-community partnerships directed at delivering post-secondary transition training for students with disabilities.
School to Community Transition Planning: Factors to Consider When Working with Culturally Diverse Students and Families in Rural Settings
Authors: Navarrete Lori A. , White Warren J.
Published: April 2017

Given the nation's rapidly increasing number of culturally and linguistically diverse students and families, understanding and learning to work with individuals who represent varying world views and communication styles should be a priority for school personnel. Parents and family members are very important participants in transition planning. Their role should be one of equal partnership with the school and other agencies involved in the planning process. The authors of this article address issues related to working with families who are culturally diverse. The authors make recommendations for improving the multicultural competence of transition team members. Suggestions for increasing parent involvement as well as ideas for exposing students to role models of color are presented. Increasing cultural awareness and sensitivity to differences is imperative for successful transition planning.
Enhancing Rural Students1 Attitudes Toward Peers with Disabilities: A Comparison of Interventions
Authors: Baker Clifford , Rude Harvey , Sasso Gary , Weishahn Mel
Published: April 2017

This study investigated the impact of two widely used commercial programs designed to increase peer understanding and acceptance of elementary school-aged handicapped students. Second, fourth, and sixth graders from six rural school districts were used in the study. The Better Understanding of Disabled Youth (BUDY) program and the Lets Meet the New Kids on the Block (KOB) program were two treatments employed to determine whether positive gains in attitudes toward the disabled could be systematically attained. Furthermore, the two programs were compared to see if one was more effective in this regard. By employing an adaptation of the Acceptance Scale (Voeltz, 1981) as both a pre-test and post-test measure, changes in student attitudes were documented on a variety of survey items. While a variety of variables were tracked, the most meaningful differences occurred between students in different grade levels. It appeared that second grade children increased their acceptance toward their peers with disabilities more positively as a result of undergoing the KOB interventions, while the older intermediate level children increased their acceptance more positively as a result of completing the BUDY interventions. Implications of findings and recommendations for future research are discussed.
Urgently Needed Culturally Diverse, Rural Special Education Teachers
Authors: Savelsbergh Mary
Published: April 2017

This article addresses several issues surrounding the urgent need to recruit culturally diverse, special education teachers in our rural schools. With the increase of minority students, the number of minority teachers has not increased. It is possible that a K-12 culturally diverse child will never be educated by a culturally diverse teacher.
Administrators' Perceptions of Teaching Competencies for Rural Minority Group Children with Exceptionalities
Authors: Rodriguez Richard F.
Published: April 2017

Recognizing the need to establish a competency-based preparation program for personnel serving bilingual children with disabilities, a needs assessment survey was undertaken involving administrators presently assisting this population in a rural public school area. The results identified competencies that principals, counselors, and special education directors deem important. It is this needs assessment that provides the basis for the positions taken in this paper regarding the training of personnel to teach the bilingual child with disabilities.
Teacher Competencies for Transition Programs as Reported by State Directors of Special Education.
Authors: Bull Kay S. , Montgomery Diane , Beard John
Published: April 2017

The Transition Special Interest Group (SIG) of the American Council on Rural Special Education (ACRES) established as one of its goals to identify the essential components of effective transition programs in the United States and, thereby to influence teacher preparation programs. The purpose of this study was to investigate the skills that the State Directors of Special Education (SDSE) list as necessary competencies required in their states for personnel in special education transition programs. Recognizing that some states may not have fully developed, articulated, and mandated the competencies they believe are necessary, the SDSE were additionally asked to report what knowledge and skills they felt should be required for transition program personnel. Responses indicate a consistency of several predictable required skills, but over half of the SDSE support a core of twelve common competencies that should be built into personnel training programs. This core represents a knowledge base that is defined more broadly than the current traditional special educational training programs. Implications for training are discussed.
Special Education, School Psychology, and Community Mental Health Practice in Rural Settings: Common Problems and Overlapping Solutions for Training
Authors: Merrell Kenneth W. , Pratt Shannon , Forbush David , Jentzsch Clarice , Nelson Sulin , Odell Camille , Smith Mary
Published: April 2017

Rural service delivery issues common to the fields of special education, school psychology, and community mental health are described within this article. Many problems common across the three disciplines have some parallel solutions, and a number of potential solutions are suggested. Given preparation at the preservice level appears to be an effective starting point for preparing practitioners to deal with specific problems, the focus of these training-based solutions is at the preservice training level.
Service Delivery to Culturally and Linguistically Diverse Exceptional Students in Rural School Districts
Authors: De Leon Jozi , Cole Jack
Published: April 2017

Bilingual special education programs have been established in many school districts across the country to address the unique needs of culturally and linguistically diverse exceptional students (CLDE). Rural school districts may have difficulty meeting the specialized needs of CLDE students due to the limited availability of resources, especially individuals trained in bilingual special education. This study examines the availability of programs which could serve CLDE students, the training of personnel in these programs, and whether educational diagnosticians and speech language pathologists (SLPs) apply procedures which take into account language and cultural factors. The authors suggest that rural school districts can provide service delivery if special educators are trained in cultural and language areas while bilingual and English as a second language (ESL) teachers are trained in exceptionalities.
Rural Education Teams: A Team Building Project
Authors: Hammond Helen , Olson Jennifer , Edson Francine , Greenfield Robin , Ingalls Lawrence
Published: April 2017

This article describes a rural education project supported by the Idaho Department of Education in which nine education teams participated in team building training. Project staff provided inservice and monitoring to the teams for purposes of establishing transdisciplinary teams, facilitating the education of children in the least restrictive environment, and attaining quality education for all students through heterogeneous grouping. A formalized approach was used to assist the teams in improving their teaming status and consequently the quality of services. Pre- and post measures were taken to analyze the effectiveness of the systematic procedures used with the rural teams
Evaluating Transdisciplinary Teaming for Students with Disabilities
Authors: Demchak Mary Ann , Alden Patricia , Bergin Celeste , Ting Stacey , Lacey Susan
Published: April 2017

Transdisciplinary (TD) teaming appears to be an effective and appropriate approach to providing educational programming to students with disabilities in rural schools. This approach may contribute to special educators experiencing less isolation and to increased skill acquisition and maintenance by students. The purpose of this article is to provide practitioners with guidelines to consider when evaluating their approach to teaming for delivery of services to students with disabilities. An evaluation checklist is provided to assist practitioners in evaluating their teams and in implementing a TD approach to teaming.
Rural Students with Low Incidence Disabilities: Recommended Practices for the Future
Authors: Sebastian Joan , Mcdonnell John
Published: April 2017

Serving students with low incidence disabilities incurs multiple challenges for rural school district personnel. In this article, a comprehensive statewide approach for implementing six recommended practices for students with low incidence and severe disabilities is described. Recommendations for future practice include the use of a system wide framework for disseminating promising practices along with effective collaboration and the use of new communication technologies.
Distance Education Applications in Rural Special Education: Where We've Been and Where We're Going
Authors: Ludlow Barbara L.
Published: April 2017

In the last decade, distance education applications in rural special education have expanded rapidly with the growing use of telecommunications technologies. Distance education has been used in direct service programs for students with special needs in rural school systems, in preservice personnel preparation programs, and in inservice training programs for teachers working in rural areas. State educational agencies, colleges and universities, and regional and local school districts all have implemented distance education efforts to support rural special education using a variety of new technologies. Distance education will continue to offer exciting opportunities in which the needs of pupils, preservice students, and inservice teachers will be met as telecommunications technologies become more widely available and organizational constraints are eliminated.
Rural After-School Child Care: A Demonstration Project in a Remote Mining Community
Authors: Neufeld Jerry , Smith Marilyn G. , Estes Harvey , Hill George C.
Published: April 2017

Residents of rural northeast Nevada lack many of the social services available in the urban parts of Nevada and the nation. One of the services lacking in Battle Mountain, Nevada is quality after-school child care. The University of Nevada Cooperative Extension and the Lander County School District collaborated to develop and administer an after-school program for at-risk elementary students, which addressed this need. The program was designed to provide an educational experience while at the same time providing students with some of the protective factors needed to help them lead more productive lifes. This paper details how the program was carried out and shows the results of the program's evaluation. In lean economic times, a collaborative effort such as this may be one way to address youth needs in rural areas. The result was increased community support for quality after-school child care.
Montana's Big Sky Country: A CSPD Runs through It!
Authors: Fishbaugh Mary Susan E.
Published: April 2017

Montana, known as Big Sky Country, is a vast, varied, and sparsely populated state. Montana is rural and Montana's educators face the perennial problems of rural educators nationwide–professional isolation, inadequate funding and resources, and few professional development opportunities. In order to restructure and strengthen special education services throughout the state, Montana has supported growth of its Comprehensive System of Personnel Development (CSPD) Council at the state level and has initiated a council in each of the five special education regions. Montana's organizational structure for CSPD and the systems approach used for state and regional strategic planning provide a model for other rural states to consider.
Delivering Staff Development to the Small Rural School
Authors: Storer John H. , Crosswait Diana J.
Published: April 2017

Most staff development activities for school personnel are held in large cities or on university campuses. Small rural schools are generally geographically distant from these locations. Therefore, this type of school usually has to absorb greater expense and hardship to take advantage of staff development activities. Long distance travel and overnight stays make it very difficult for parents or community members to also benefit from training. The Iowa Intervention Initiative (III), a U.S. Department of Education Drug-Free Schools School Personnel Training Project, was designed to address these problems. The III was able to overcome many practical and logistic problems to successfully hold workshops for 79 schools throughout rural Iowa. This paper presents successful responses to many of these problems and discusses how this training model can be adapted to other rural situations.
Speech-Language Pathology Education and Training for Rural Areas: A State and University “Goodness of Fit” Model
Authors: Farmer Stephen
Published: April 2017

This paper describes the 3-years Summer-Only Master of Arts Degree Program in Speech-Language Pathology of a culturally diverse university in a rural state. The program was designed to address problems identified by the State Department of Education relative to the dearth of speech-language pathologists available to serve the needs of persons with communication disorders in rural communities and the quality of service provided by waivered personnel.
Students in Rural Settings with High-Risk Classroom Behavior Problems and Teacher-Subscribed Intervention Strategies
Authors: Maddux Cleborne D. , Smaby Marlowe , Hovland Jane
Published: April 2017

Research on the behavior problems of rural students is limited even though the numbers of such students are increasing rapidly. The Devereux Elementary School Behavior Rating Scale II (DESB-II) was administered by teachers to 1801 randomly selected students in their classrooms in grades K-6. These students were enrolled in 17 rural school districts in a large mid-western state. Mean scores and percent of cases with scores two standard deviations or more from the mean were calculated by gender for each grade. Those categories with more than five percent of subjects scoring two standard deviations or more from the mean were identified as representing a particular problem. The researchers identified those teachers who reported the lowest mean incident rates of these behaviors in their classrooms. These teachers were then asked to recommend classroom interventions that were effective for them in dealing with each problem
Prereferral School-Based Teams: How Effective are they?
Authors: Ingalls Lawrence , Hammond Helen
Published: April 2017

The authors of this article describe a rural education project in which school personnel from a tri-school district participated in developing school based prereferral teams. Project staff provided in service and ongoing support to team members to assist in establishing prereferral assessment and intervention activities. Regular and special education teachers and support staff comprised the teams. Data were collected throughout a 5-year span to identify the number of students: being referred to prereferral teams, referred for special education assessment, and qualified for special education services. Data were analyzed to determine the effectiveness of prereferral activities
Beyond Our Borders: Spanish-Dominant Migrant Parents and the IEP Process
Authors: Rhodes Robert L.
Published: April 2017

Numerous issues and challenges are associated with quality service provision for Hispanic students. A longstanding challenge for many special education personnel is how to appropriately involve Spanish-dominant migrant parents in the entire Individualized Education Plan (IEP) process. Despite the historical nature of this concern, little information is available regarding conventional and unconventional strategies for increasing parent involvement. Recent demographic trends indicate that this information is increasingly pertinent for special education personnel operating in rural/agriculturally-based school districts. Twelve recommendations are presented which have proven effective for increasing Spanish-dominant migrant parent involvement in the IEP process.
Impact of Students with Special Needs on Teachers in Rural Communities
Authors: Boyer Wanda A. R. , Bandy Helen
Published: April 2017

In order to develop relevant teacher education programs, teacher educators must understand attitudes, concerns and knowledge of inservice rural teachers toward inclusion of children with special needs in their classroom. Questionnaires were distributed to teachers in rural/remote areas of British Columbia. Results were indicative of the urgent need for providing additional human resources to assist with inclusionary practices, particularly the addition of trained assistants, parents, and community volunteers.
An Ethnographic Study of Special Education Services in a Rural Area of Mexico
Authors: Argus-Calvo Beverley , Ortiz Robert , Mccarty Laurie L.
Published: April 2017

The provision of appropriate special education services to Mexican, immigrant children and their families who live in rural border areas of the United States begins with an understanding of the educational system in Mexico. A brief history and overview of the types of special education programs that are currently being administered in Mexico are provided. Additionally, the personal perspectives of two administrators who oversee programs in rural areas neighboring Ciudad Juarez are highlighted. Using in-depth interviewing to gain insight into the personal and professional experiences of these two professionals, emergent themes concerning special education in rural areas of Mexico are identified and discussed.
Development of Special Education in Selected Sub-Saharan African Countries
Authors: Vodounou Victor A.
Published: April 2017

African countries South of the Saharan Desert are predominately rural. A review of literature on current trends in special education in selected Sub-Saharan African countries indicates a changing attitude toward individuals with disabilities. Modern practices have been influenced by the development of basic education, the enactment of national policies, and heightened public awareness created by the United Nations' International Year (1981) and Decade of the Disabled (1981–1991). This work provides an overview of the historical development of special education in several Sub-Saharan countries, describes current conditions, and makes recommendations for further positive change.
Rural Special Education Teachers' Knowledge and Use of Telecomputer Networks1
Authors: Nelson Ron , Simonsen Flint , Michaelson Karen
Published: April 2017

This study investigates rural special education teachers' knowledge and use of telecomputer networks and telecomputer resources. Specifically, special educators from 173 rural school districts were surveyed regarding: (a) their familiarity with and use of telecomputer networks; (b) teacher use of resources available on telecomputer networks; (c) student access to telecomputing resources, and (d) obstacles to using telecomputer networks. The results of the survey indicate that telecomputer networks and telecomputer resources are not utilized relative to their potential. The implications of the results are discussed.
The Spread of Youth Gangs into Rural Areas: A Survey of School Counselors
Authors: Caldarella Paul , Sharpnack Jim , Loosli Travis , Merrell Kenneth W.
Published: April 2017

Although the study of inner city youth gangs has received substantial attention in the literature, such is not the case for rural youth gangs. In this study 41 rural school counselors from eight western states were surveyed on their perceptions of the extent of gang and crime problems in their schools and communities. The results of this study suggest an emerging gang and crime problem in these rural communities, for which the majority of school counselors felt ill prepared. More research and intervention is encouraged, both as a means of alleviating the current level of activity, as well as to help prevent the further spread of gang problems into these rural areas.
Teacher and Administrator Attitudes toward Full Inclusion in Rural Mid-America
Authors: Wigle Stanley E. , Wilcox Daryl J.
Published: April 2017

Full inclusion as a service delivery model for all students with disabilities has generated significant recent controversy. In this study, questionnaires were sent to a sample of special educators, general educators, and administrators in rural, mid-western K-12 school districts. The subjects were asked to respond to four statements relating to inclusion. The analyses of variances of the group responses indicated a very cautious attitude toward full inclusion among all of the subjects in this study. The implications of the findings for K-12 professionals are discussed.
Classroom Behaviors of Students with Disabilities in Rural Inclusive Classrooms: An Observational Study
Authors: Butera Gretchen , Deasy Gia , Miller Kevin , Reissner Laura , Stein Carl , Zeppuhar Mary Ellen
Published: April 2017

Observational data were collected to compare classroom academic and social behaviors of 71 students with mild-moderate disabilities to those of their normative peers in 48 elementary inclusive classrooms. Fifteen categories of observed behaviors were recorded in six-second intervals that alternated with the recording of observed behaviors of normative peers in each classroom using the Classroom Behavior Record (CBR). Analyses indicated students with disabilities did not differ from their normative peers on fourteen measures of social and academic classroom behaviors. Students with disabilities were observed as significantly less attentive than their normative peers and they were even less attentive if more than one adult was in the classroom. Implications for rural inclusive special education service delivery are discussed.
Reading with Students who are Deaf or Hard of Hearing
Authors: Luetke-Stahlman Barbara , Hayes P. Lynn
Published: April 2017

Most students who are deaf or hard of hearing (S-D/HH) do not read proficiently (Karchmer, Milone, & Work, 1979; Allen, 1996). Although there has been some improvement in deaf students' achievement in reading (Holt, Traxler, & Allen, 1992), students continue to leave high school reading on a third to fourth grade reading level. A review of the literature in deaf education and related fields resulted in a rationale and description of ten essential practices when adults read to S-D/HH. These practices are briefly reviewed in this paper and examples provided. In addition, information on “when students read to adults” is included.
Internet Solutions for Isolation: Educational Resources & Professional Development Opportunities for Educators of Deaf and Hard of Hearing Students
Authors: Johnson Harold A.
Published: April 2017

Internet technologies and resources hold the potential to substantially reduce the interpersonal and informational isolation that is so often experienced in Deaf Education. In this article a model is presented through which the Internet can be effectively used to recognize the expertise of experienced teachers, enhance the preparation of new teachers, and develop instructional resources. In addition, specific Web sites are identified and discussed regarding their use as a means to enrich the curricular offerings available in our K-12 educational programs.