Using a single-case multiple baseline (MBL) across behaviors design, the purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of the PEERS® for Young Adults manualized intervention on the acquisition of introductory conversational skills by five adults on the autism spectrum. Five participants attended the PEERS® group in a classroom at a rural…

The purpose of this mixed-methods action research study was to understand how a knowledge-building intervention changes the perception of rural high school juniors on the perception of staying local for college after high school. This study also investigates the ways in which participants used their social capital to begin to change the stigma of…

The purpose of the current article was to compare the retrospective experiences of community partners with higher education (HE) qualifications, in community engagement (CE) in order to inform global citizenship as a HE agenda. Qualitative methodology was appropriate in this study as we were interested in gaining in-depth insight into the…

The purpose of this article is to provide an overview of the practices proposed by the contributing authors across multiple disciplines that may help to improve the educational and professional experiences of African Americans in rural spaces. The authors discuss promising practices in secondary and postsecondary education and conclude with…

The United States is experiencing a teacher shortage crisis that is even more pronounced in rural communities. Teachers may be driven away from the profession if they feel inadequately trained or under-supported to address students' mental health needs. As such, an important teacher retention strategy is to ensure schools have enough mental health…

The purpose of this study was to conduct a needs assessment of a college-based safe ride program to reduce the negative consequences of alcohol use. This cross-sectional, mixed-method study used an online survey (n = 363). Demographic variables, alcohol-related behaviors, and attitudes towards drinking and driving, and safe ride programs were…

Rural Mississippi schools often face challenges in providing equitable access to Advanced Placement (AP) courses, particularly in STEM fields. This lack of access limits opportunities for high-achieving students to pursue rigorous STEM coursework and related careers. The AP STEM program aims to improve access to AP STEM courses for high-achieving…

Educator preparation programs must prepare teachers to endure the demands of the profession. Teacher candidates can develop skills to mitigate stress and develop resilience and self-efficacy necessary for the current reality of the teaching profession. We implemented a randomized control trial to evaluate the effects of a self-care self-monitoring…

Community colleges provide postsecondary education to millions of students in the United States each year, but their graduation rates are low. Many community colleges have implemented interventions to help students persist in college and earn degrees. MDRC has studied many such interventions; several of them improved students' academic outcomes,…

Students growing up in rural communities are situated in contexts characterized by poor economic conditions, largely ineffective K-12 educational policies, few postsecondary opportunities, underresourced schools, and limited networks to provide social and cultural capital. As a result, students in rural contexts are underrepresented in…

As a pilot intervention strategy to support undergraduate students, especially rural and Alaska Native students who are pursuing biomedical science research and career trajectories, we have developed a unique, mid-level Research, Advising, and Mentoring Professional (RAMP) position. In this article we outline the reasons for creating this…

This action research project examined a rural band director's attrition/retention and possible reasons for staying or leaving a position. The purpose of this case study was to describe a rural band director's experience with content-related professional development and support networks, providing access to and a process for collaboration in…

Content-focused practice-based professional development (PBPD) with active learning is one avenue to support teachers in learning new strategies, practices, and programs. This type of professional development moves away from traditional lectures. In this descriptive study, the authors used a pre-post group design to examine the extent to which a…

This compilation of short summaries of Grow Your Own (GYO) teacher resources, prepared for the Texas Education Agency (TEA) by the Texas Comprehensive Center (TXCC) at American Institutes for Research (AIR), is organized around research questions developed by TEA to inform the Texas GYO teacher strategy. This is meant to be a living document and…

Many universities offer career exploration courses designed to assist students in making effective career choices; however, it remains unclear whether pre-existing resources have a significant influence on students' ability to benefit. The purpose of this study was (a) to measure the efficacy of a career exploration course at an Appalachian…