TITLE Meeting the Needs of At-Risk Learners in Rural Areas:

Approximately 25 percent of the U.S. population is in rural areas and about 10 million students are enrolled in rural schools, comprising 12,000 of the 15,000 schools in the country. Although rural communities and their schools are quite diverse, certain characteristic economic, cultural, and social factors create large numbers of "at-risk " individuals. Barriers to effective programs and services for rural at-risk learners include: (1) lack of exposure to occupational diversity, limiting the career development process; (2) family opposition to moving away, limiting job opportunities; (3) economic barriers to comprehensive career preparation curricula; (4) geographic isolation; (5) high unemployment; (6) lack of adult service providers, making transition difficult; (7) transportation problems; and (8) shortage of qualified staff. On the other hand, rural communities have a number o