Center for the Study of Small/Rural Schools
The Center for the Study of Small/Rural Schools is a cooperative effort between the University of Oklahoma's Colleges of Education and Continuing Education. Endorsed by the National Rural Education Association as one of its five recognized rural education research centers, the center assists small and rural schools in building and maintaining necessary knowledge bases, founded on state-of-the-art research in the areas of school improvement and reform, restructuring, staff development, administration, and teaching. The center utilizes a multifaceted approach in assisting small and rural schools through workshops, training programs, surveys, needs assessments, and provision of technical assistance and various other services. Its clients include school boards, teachers, administrators, businesses, community groups, rural organizations, state and federal agencies, as well as international agencies and governments.
Various areas addressed by the center include teaching methodology, school improvement issues, at-risk populations, multicultural and equity concerns, administrator preparation, school board training, educational technology, strategies for improving community-school relationships, and community development issues. The center also produces cost effective in-service videotapes, some of which are available in Spanish, that cover a wide range of relevant activities and which feature nationally recognized presenters.
