Document Type
Section II Article
Abstract
The concept of open enrollment in Iowa is based upon the premise that students should have the opportunity to seek the best education available. It is also based upon the premise that competition between school districts will improve schools in Iowa. Can Iowa rural schools, schools of a thousand students or less, remain competitive by providing quality curriculums that are equal in quantity to urban or large rural districts? The answer is yes, but changes are needed in the traditional methods of curriculum delivery.
Whole-grade sharing of students between districts offer one means of change in delivering curriculum. Many Iowa rural schools are now whole-grade sharing and this has helped these schools provide a larger selection of course offerings for students. It has helped increase the teacher-pupil ratio and thereby lower per pupil cost. But has this sharing brought quality curriculum development and equity with other Iowa districts? With strong administrative leadership and professional staffs, quality curriculums are being provided in many rural districts. However, small Iowa districts cannot offer the same quantity of courses that larger schools can provide. So if equity means the quantity of courses offered, then small districts are at a disadvantage.
Journal Title
Institute for Educational Leadership Monograph Series
Volume
1
Issue
1
First Page
24
Last Page
25
Publisher
Institute for Educational Leadership, University of Northern Iowa
City
Cedar Falls, IA
Copyright
©1990 North Central Regional Educational Laboratory and the University of Northern Iowa
Language
en
File Format
application/pdf
Recommended Citation
O'Kones, Ronald
(1990)
"Section II: Curriculum Diversity in Rural Iowa: Quality and Equity Issues [O'Kones],"
Institute for Educational Leadership Monograph Series: Vol. 1:
No.
1, Article 11.
Available at:
https://scholarworks.uni.edu/iel_monographs/vol1/iss1/11
