This case was specifically written for practicing school leaders, as well as educational leadership preparation programs, to help create a nuanced conversation about how to decenter whiteness in the practices and policies of rural schools in the United States. The work is challenging, particularly given how race is baked into social institutions…

Since 2012, the Jack Kent Cooke Foundation has supported educational enrichment in rural areas by awarding over $3.3 million in grants to six outstanding organizations operating in Iowa, Indiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, Tennessee, and Virginia. In this report, the authors combine the experiences of these organizations with findings from the…

Responding to the lack of clarity related to the defined role of the school counselor, the authors investigated school principals (n = 538), in a rural Midwest state, and their perceptions of the role of the school counselor. The survey utilized was developed based on professional standards of service delivery for professional school counselors as…

The Central Region states have greater percentages of rural students and schools than the U.S. average. This report describes how nine teacher preparation programs in the region prepare their graduates for teaching positions in rural settings. The study found that, of 120 institutions in the Central Region that offer teacher preparation, only 17…

Purpose: The overall purpose of this exploratory research was to better understand rural educators' feelings about school-based sex education in order to foster better communication and collaboration between prevention researchers and rural teachers and administrators. In order to accomplish this purpose, the research question asked "How does…

Teacher shortages are essentially a problem of distribution (Darling-Hammond, 2001; Ingersoll, 2001; National Association of State Boards of Education, 1998; Olson, 2000; Reeves, 2003; Voke, 2002). According to recent studies, hardest to find are teachers who are both qualified and willing to teach in hard-to-staff schools, which included those in…

This chapter reviews the strategies described in this volume that rural college leaders can use to address the issues and challenges their institutions face. (Contains a list of 12 resources and 4 online resources.)

Reports results of a survey of Idaho programs of cooperation between schools or districts. Reveals 75 percent of responding schools participate in one or more cooperative efforts and report sharing to be a successful practice. Describes major advantage of curriculum variety, but disadvantages of problems with coordination, transportation, and…

Schools were never so dependent upon adequate library facilities as they are at the present time. This condition has come about largely through modern school curricula which demand for their execution large collections of books, magazines, and other reading matter relating to many subjects. At the present time much stress is being placed upon the…

Outlines concerns that cause beginning teachers to leave rural schools. Discusses components of an overall teacher recruitment strategy, benefits of living and teaching in rural areas, and possible teacher incentives. Lists teacher retention strategies based on community or social environment, staff development, support procedures, or incentives.…

Between 2001 and 2005, the state of Maine shifted the focus of its statewide high school improvement efforts to include an explicit focus on adolescent literacy. One trigger for that change in focus was a 5-school adolescent literacy initiative previously launched in a rural county under the federal Northeast and Islands Regional Educational…

Because schools are often the biggest employers in rural areas, it may make sense for rural schools to initiate economic development partnerships with the community, rather than wait for business to take the initiative, as is more commonly the case with urban school-business partnerships. This booklet reports findings of a national research…

This report is based on an almost 5-year continual study of selected collaboratives engaged in education reform and improvement with a focus on science, math, and technology in schools serving K-12 students in rural America. This version of the final report of the study is primarily intended for use by educators, decision makers, and others who…

The curricular and extracurricular responsibilities of teaching in a small school district require uniquely prepared teachers. Rural teachers often need additional background in instructional methods for teaching reading, content areas other than their specialty, discipline techniques, use of community resources, and individualized diagnosis and…

Recruitment and retention of special education teachers and related services staff have been persistent problems of rural school districts nationwide. High teacher attrition rates have serious ramifications for personnel development and program stability. Effective recruitment strategies for rural areas have four main components: (1) emphasis on…