Montana Small Schools Alliance

Research

Through the years, MSSA has conducted a variety of research projects. They are listed below. For the newer ones, we will attach a pdf file. If you wish to know about older research, please contact us.

  • The Challenges and Best Practices of Small, Rural Schools in Montana in Implementing The No Child Left Behind Act, A Research Study conducted at the request of Northwest Regional Educational Laboratory.

  • Four Technology Studies on Technology use and Connectivity of small schools in Montana

  • The Montana Rural Schools Salary and Benefits Survey - Four seperate studies over 14 years

  • The Social Security Study requested by the Montana Association of County Superintendents of Schools to determine how many and which schools do not provide Social Security Benefits to their employees.

List of MSSA Research

Equity in Montana's Public Schools: What We Know, What We Need to Do. Utilizing a variety of Montana data, it is clear that our efforts need to be directed to improving learning for boys and American Indians. A paper commissioned by the Montana Association of University Women and funded by a grant from the Women's Foundation of Montana, May 2004.

The Understanding of Local Context in Teacher Education, The Rural Educator, the official journal of the National Rural Education Association. Vol. 19, Number 1, Fall 1997, 1-6.

No Child Left Behind

Montana Response to No Child Left Behind Policy Inventory, the State Action for Education Leadership Project and the Wallace Foundation, March 2004.

The Challenges and Best Practices of Small, Rural Schools in Montana in Implementing the No Child Left Behind Act, A Research Study Conducted by the Montana Small Schools Alliance for the Northwest Regional Education Laboratory, Portland, OR, 2003

Rural Teacher Salary and Benefits Surveys

The Vanishing Breed?  The 2006-2007 Montana Rural Teacher Salary and Benefit Survey,
The Montana Small Schools Alliance, 2007. A Research Study funded by the Oro Y Plata Foundation, 2006.
Document Summary   (PDF File)
Complete Document   (PDF File)

Paradise or the Pits? The 2002-2003 Montana Rural Teacher Salary and Benefits Survey, the Montana Small Schools Alliance, 2003

The Last Best Place? The 1998-99 Montana Rural Teacher Salary and Benefits Survey. Montana Small Schools Alliance, 1999

The Rural Teacher, Alive and Well? The 1992-93 Montana Rural Teacher Salary and Benefits Survey, The Montana Rural Education Center, Western Montana College of The University of Montana, Dillon, MT, 1993

Technology Issues in Montana Rural Schools

Moving All Montana's Children Across the Digital Divide, A Research Study funded by the Oro Y Plata Foundation, 2006

Montana Small Schools Technology Survey, 2002-2003

Montana Small Schools Technology Connectivity Survey, 2003

Technology Planning for Montana's Schools, 1998, in cooperation with the MT Office of Public Instruction and a grant from ARCO

An Update on Moving All Montana's Children Across the Digital Divide
, A Research Study, July 2007