A Proposal to End Federal Neglect of Rural Schools.

After decades of relative obscurity, issues relating to education in rural areas are enjoying a minor renaissance across the country. The origins of this renewed interest are unclear, but seem (at least in part) to flow from larger concerns about balanced growth and rural develop ment, a new appreciation of cultural pluralism, skepticism about the quality and efficacy of large schools and urban models of education, and the irony of "progressive" urban and suburban school systems embracing traditional rural prac tices (e.g., individualized instruction, cross-age grouping, and peer teaching). Whatever the origins, the most salient fact now is that this consensus is emerg ing: Rural education is worthy of signif icantly more attention and assistance than researchers, policy makers, and educators have accorded it in the recent past. This consensus represents an opportunity that we shouldn't squander. Some observers argue, however, that the growing interest in rural education is evidence only of bucolic nostalgia and that there is little justification for increas ing federal involvement. This argument ignores several key facts that point clearly to the need for a greatly expanded federal role in rural education. Among these: 1. Contrary to public opinion, the rural sector can legitimately be classified as a major U.S. education constituency. Currently, there are more than 15 million children (ages 5 through 17) enrolled in nonmetropolitan schools.1