Disclaimer of Endorsement
Non-U.S. Department of Education web sites linked by OVAE contain information related to OVAE and are linked as a public service only. The U.S. Department of Education does not control or guarantee the accuracy, relevance, timeliness, or completeness of this outside information.

The Educational Resources Information Center (ERIC)
www.eric.ed.gov
More than 1.2 million bibliographic records of journal articles and other education-related materials as well as links to full text, when available. Sponsored by the U.S. Department of Education, Institute of Education Sciences (IES).

The Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA)
http://www.doi.gov/bureau-indian-affairs.html
The administration and management of 55.7 million acres of land held in trust by the United States for American Indians, Indian tribes, and Alaska Natives.

The Federal Interagency Council on Statistical Policy
http://www.fedstats.gov/
Statistics provided from over 100 federal agencies on a variety of topics.

Forum on Children and Family Statistics
http://www.childstats.gov/index.asp
A collection of statistics and reports, provided by twenty federal agencies involved in research and activities, relevant to children and families.

Institute of Education Sciences: What Works Clearing House
http://www.whatworks.ed.gov/
Provides educators, policy makers, researchers, and the general public with a central source of scientific evidence of “what works” in education.

National Endowment for Humanities
http://www.neh.gov/
Independent grant-making federal agency dedicated to supporting research, education, preservation, and public programs in the humanities.

National Institute for Literacy
http://www.nifl.gov/
Resources on workplace literacy, family literacy, English as a second language, learning disabilities, and advocacy issues. The Institute's programs and services support the development and provision of high quality adult education and literacy services.

Regional Education Laboratories
http://ies.ed.gov/ncee/edlabs/
Network of ten regional labs that serve the educational needs of a designated region by providing access to high quality scientific research and other related technical assistance activities.

School District Demographic System/NCES
http://nces.ed.gov/surveys/sdds/
Information about school district demographic resources by school district geographic and demographic data; information about school district demographic concepts, uses, and applications to facilitate effective use of these information resources.

Smithsonian Institution Educator Resources
http://www.smithsonianeducation.org/educators/
Access to teacher resources based on the exhibitions, collections, and research programs of the Smithsonian.

Social Security Administration (SSA)
http://www.socialsecurity.gov/ To advance the economic security of the nation's people through compassionate and vigilant leadership in shaping and managing America's Social Security programs.Provides disability support, including for disabled children.

Teacher-to-Teacher Initiative
http://www.ed.gov/teachers/how/tools/initiative/index.html
An initiative of the U.S. Department of Education designed to support teachers through professional development, American Star Awards and more.

U.S. Department of Agriculture Economic Research Service
www.ers.usda.gov
Primary source of research on economic and other policy issues regarding food, farming, natural resources, and rural development, for the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

U.S. Department of Agriculture National Agricultural Library
http://www.nal.usda.gov/
Access to national library that is one of the world’s largest information centers on agriculture.

U.S. Department of Agriculture Rural Development
http://www.rurdev.usda.gov/
Programs to improve the economy and quality of life in rural America.

U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS)
Rural Health Policy
http://ruralhealth.hrsa.gov/
Organized to promote rural health; works with federal, state, local, and private levels of authority to find solutions to health problems in rural America.

U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD)
Rural Housing and Economic Development (RHED)
http://www.hud.gov/offices/cpd/
economicdevelopment/programs/rhed/index.cfm
Works to provide capacity building at the State and local level for rural housing and economic development, and to support innovative housing and economic development activities in rural areas.

U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ)
Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention
http://ojjdp.ncjrs.org/index.html
Works to support states, local communities, and tribal jurisdictions in their efforts to develop and implement effective programs for juveniles, and the services needed for themselves and their families.

U.S. Department of Labor
Office of Disability Employment Policy (ODEP)
www.dol.gov/odep
With the National Collaborative on Workforce Disability for Youth, identifies five guideposts to which all youths, including those disabled, can achieve success. Guideposts include: School-Based Preparatory Experience, Career Preparation and Work-Based Learning Experiences, Youth Development and Leadership, Connecting Activities, and Family Involvement and Supports.

U.S. Department of Labor Employment and Training Administration
http://www.doleta.gov/
Administers federal government job training and worker dislocation programs as well as federal grants to states for public employment service programs.

U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT)
Rural Transportation Planning
http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/planning/rural/
Provides resources to support community outside of Metropolitan Planning Organizations in their transportation planning efforts.

White House Social Statistics Briefing Room
http://www.whitehouse.gov/fsbr/ssbr.html
Service to provide easy access to current social statistics produced by a number of federal agencies.

American Association for Adult and Continuing Education
http://www.aaace.org/
Dedicated to enhancing the field of adult learning.

American Council on Rural Special Education
http://www.acres-sped.org/
Provides leadership and support that will enhance services for individuals with special needs, their families, and the professionals who work with them, and for the rural communities in which they live.

American Youth Policy Forum (AYPF)
http://www.aypf.org
Information on policies effecting America’s youth in three themed areas: Education, Youth Development and Community Involvement, and Preparation for Careers and Workforce Development.

The American Distance Education Consortium
http://www.adec.edu/
Consortium composed of approximately 65 state universities and land-grant colleges to promote the creation and provision of high quality, economical distance education programs and services to diverse audiences, bythe land grant community of colleges and universities, through the most appropriate information technologies available.

Appalachian Regional Commission
http://www.arc.gov/index.jsp
A federal-state partnership that works with the people of Appalachia to create opportunities for self-sustaining economic development and improved quality of life.

The Aspen Institute Rural Development Philanthropy Learning Network
http://www.aspencsg.org/rdp/
Organization dedicated to understanding and improving rural development philanthropy; increasing the field's capacity to use action-focused, structured peer learning and to access technical assistance

Brown Center for Education Policy at the Brookings Institute
http://www.brookings.edu/gs/brown/brown_hp.htm
An independent research center for innovative policy solutions.

Center for Agricultural and Rural Development
http://www.card.iastate.edu
Research and reports on economic for rural agriculture, food, and environmental policies.

Center for Law and Social Policy (CLASP)
www.clasp.org
Research and policy analysis center focused on increasing access for low-income and poverty stricken adults, children, and families to quality education and job training.

Center for Rural Early Childhood Education
http://ruralec.msstate.edu/
Research on the quality, accessibility, and replication of early educational intervention services for at-risk young children and families in rural America

Commission on Adult Basic Education
http://www.coabe.org/
Provides leadership, communication, professional development, and advocacy for adult education and literacy practitoners.

Community Partnerships for Adult Learning
http://www.c-pal.net/profiles/index.html
Works to help adults who lack the literacy, technical, and basic skills to find and sustain meaningful careers, parent their children effectively, or take part in civic activities through a variety of techniques.

Council of Chief State School Officers
http://www.ccsso.org/
A nonpartisan, nationwide, nonprofit organization of public officials who head departments of elementary and secondary education in the states; provides leadership, advocacy, and technical assistance on major educational issues.

The Education Commission of the States
www.esc.org
Serves the businesses, governmental entities, and communities of the States of Washington, Oregon, Idaho and Alaska through the dissemination of safety and health information and the provision of safety and healthtraining.

The Education Trust
http://www2.edtrust.org/edtrust
Nonprofit organization whose mission is to improve education for all students from pre-kindergarten to college with a particular focus on students who have traditionally been left behind.

Mid-Continent Research for Education and Learning
http://www.mcrel.org/rural/
Impacting the quality of education for all through applied research, product development, and service.

The International Literacy Institute
http://www.literacyonline.org/ili.html
Provides scientific leadership in training and development in literacy with an emphasis on developing countries.

International Reading Association
http://www.reading.org/
A professional membership organization dedicated to promoting high levels of literacy for all by improving the quality of reading instruction, disseminating research and information about reading, and encouraging the lifetime reading habit.

Learning Disabilities Association of America
http://www.ldaamerica.org/
Dedicated to identifying causes and promoting prevention of learning disabilities, as well as advocacy for individuals with learning disabilities.

National Association for Counties
http://www.naco.org/
Source for demographic data by county.

National Association of State Boards of Education
www.nasbe.org
Serves State Boards of Education in their pursuit of high levels of academic achievement for all students.

National Association of State Directors of Special Education, Inc.
http://www.nasdse.org/
Provides services to state agencies to facilitate their efforts to maximize educational outcomes for individuals with disabilities.

National Center on Adult Literacy
http://literacy.org/ncal.html
Site includes a database of adult literacy software, a list of conferences and upcoming events, and resources on various adult literacy opics.

National Center for Family Literacy
http://www.famlit.org
Supports family literacy service-providers through programming, training, research, advocacy, and dissemination of information.

The National Center for the Study of Adult Learning and Literacy
http://www.ncsall.net/
Coordinates a national research agenda for adult basic education activities, including the dissemination of research and best practice information

National Dissemination Center for Children with Disabilities
http://www.nichcy.org/
Provides information on disabilities, programs for children with disabilities and their parents, information on NCLB, IDEA, disability associations, etc.

National Farmers Union
www.nfu.org
Supports rural communities through information and access to a variety of services and needs, including transportation, health care, business development, utilities, etc.

The National Governor’s Association
http://www.nga.org/portal/site/nga
The National Governors Association is a bipartisan organization of the nation's governors.

National High School Alliance
http://www.hsalliance.org/
A partnership of fifty diverse organizations that share the goal of promoting excellence, equity and development of youth of high school age.

The National Institute for Rural Community Colleges
http://circ.rupri.org/nircc/
Interactive site to create maps containing demographic and statistical data on rural colleges throughout the 48 states.

National Research Center on Rural Education Support
http://www.nrcres.org/
Research center supported by a grant from the U.S. Department of Education to the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. The center’s purpose is to conduct research studies and to implement teacher training for the purpose of improving learning and student achievement in rural schools nationwide.

National Rural Education Association
http://www.nrea.net/
Membership organization consisting of leaders in rural education, including rural school principles/administrators, higher education, rural school district boards, at-large constituencies, etc.

National Rural Network
http://www.nationalruralnetwork.org/NRN/index.html
Coalition of non-government organizations that represent the interests, challenges, concerns, and opportunities for rural America.

North Central Regional Center for Rural Development
http://www.ncrcrd.iastate.edu/
Strengthens the ability of the land-grant system and its partners to help build rural community capacity, create vibrates and sustainable economies, and cultivate inclusive approaches to governance to enhance regional well-being.

Northeast Regional Center for Rural Development
http://www.nercrd.psu.edu/
One of four Regional Rural Development Centers established by the Cooperative State Research Service—USDA. The center addresses compound issues facing rural communities in the northeast.

Organizations Concerned for Rural Education
http://www.ruralschools.org/
Coalition of more than two-dozen organizations that are dedicated to the improvement of education as well as economic development in rural America.

Penn State Center on Rural Education and Communities
http://www.ed.psu.edu/crec/home.htm
Conducts and supports both research and outreach activities that address rural education and community-related issues in Pennsylvania, the nation and the world.

The PEW Charitable Trusts
http://www.pewtrusts.com/
Reports and information on a variety of educational issues, including those faced in rural America; grants.

Rural Assistance Center
http://www.raconline.org/info_guides/schools/
A product of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ Rural Initiative, the Rural Assistance Center (RAC) was established in December 2002 as a rural health and human services "information portal." RAC helps rural communities and other rural stakeholders access the full range of available programs, funding, and research that can enable them to provide quality health and human services to ruralresidents.

Rural Community College Alliance
http://www.ruralcommunitycolleges.org/
Association to voice concerns and issues common to rural community colleges throughout the US.

Rural Community College Initiative
http://srdc.msstate.edu/rcci/index.html
Initiative supported by the Ford Foundation and coordinated by MDC, Inc. to help rural community and tribal colleges in economically depressed regions move their area communities and residents toward economic prosperity.

Rural Poverty Research Center
http://www.rprconline.org/
Commissions, supports, and conducts research that leads to informed policymaking and effective practice; Provides opportunities for dialogue among scholars, policymakers, and practitioners, and communicate widely research findings in audience-appropriate ways; train, mentor, and support emerging scholars at the undergraduate, graduate, and post-graduate levels.

The Rural Schools and Community Trust
www.ruraledu.org
A national nonprofit organization addressing the crucial relationship between good schools and thriving communities

Southern Regional Education Board
www.sreb.org
A nonprofit, nonpartisan organization that helps government and education leaders in its 16 member states work together to advance education and improve the social and economic life of the region. Member states include: AL, AK, DE, FL, GA, KY, LA, MD, MS, NC, OK, SC, TN, TX, VA and WV.

Southern Rural Development Center
http://srdc.msstate.edu/
Seeks to strengthen the capacity of the region's 29 land-grant institutions to address critical contemporary rural development issues impacting the well-being of people and communities in the rural South, with focus areas on civic engagement, economic and workforce development, rural-urban interface, health/food development, and digital access and use.

Southwest Educational Development Laboratory
http://www.sedl.org/
Through professional development, strategies, and resources helps states, cities, and counties meet the NCLB regulations.

University of Montana Rural Institute
http://rtc.ruralinstitute.umt.edu/geography/
Provides maps and demographic information by county on rurality, and disability statistics and information.

W.K. Kellogg Foundation: Rural People, Rural Policy
http://www.wkkf.org/default.aspx?tabid=75&
CID=274&NID=61&LanguageID=0
Reports and information on issues effecting rural communities and their citizens.

American Association of School Administrators/National Association of State Boards of Education:
No Child Left Behind: A Guide for Small and Rural Districts
http://www.aasa.org/files/PDFs/Policy/
NCLB_and_rural_schools.pdf
Ideas on how to implement the NCLB policies in rural schools.

Carsey Institute: Rural Child Poverty Fact Sheet Summer 2006
http://carseyinstitute.unh.edu/documents/
rural_child_poverty_fact_sheet.pdf
Data that shows increase in rural child poverty in 41 states.

GAO Report: NCLB/Additional Assistance and Research on Effective Strategies Would Help Small Rural Districts
http://www.gao.gov/new.items/d04909.pdf
Report stating rural areas need more assistance and research to effectively implement NCLB.

Implementing the No Child Left Behind Act: Implications for Rural Schools and Districts
http://www.ncrel.org/policy/pubs/html/implicate/NCLB_PolicyBrief.pdf
Addresses the unique challenges faced by rural schools through implementing NCLB.

A Look at the Condition of Rural Education Research: Setting a Direction for Future Research
http://www.mcrel.org/PDF/RuralEducation/
5041RR_ConditionRuralResearch.pdf
Overview of rural education and the directions to head.

A Report of the Rural School and Community Trust Policy Program: Why Rural Matters 2005
www.ruraledu.org/whyruralmatters/
Analyzes the importance of rural education in each of the50 states and calling attention to the urgency with which policymakers in each state should address the problems of rural education.

Save the Children: America’s Forgotten Children Report: Child Poverty in Rural America
http://www.savethechildren.org/countries/
usa/americas-forgotten-children.html
Reports on “facts and faces of rural poverty and recommending solutions with a call to action to create real and lasting change.”

Southern Regional Education Board: Technology Use In Rural High Schools Improves Opportunities for Student Achievement
http://www.sreb.org/programs/EdTech/pubs/PDF/05T01-
TechnologyUseinRuralHS.pdf
Details how technology can be implemented and used effectively in the rural high school classroom.

Southern Regional Governors Association 2004: New Traditions: Options for Rural High School Excellence
http://www.southerngovernors.org/indexPDF/SGANewTraditions.pdf
Discusses ways to overcome rural and socioeconomic burdens placed on the education system.

U.S. Department of Education: National Assessment of Title I: Interim Report to Congress
http://ies.ed.gov/ncee/pubs/title1/index.asp
Findings from the congressionally mandated national assessment of Title I that include the evaluation and impact of the program. Key findings from the No Child Left Behind Act are a part of Volume I while Volume II contains findings from Closing the Reading Gap.