This study delves into the relationships between strategic recruitment and retention practices implemented by rural Minnesota school districts and the recruitment and retention rates of teachers of color within these districts. The research assesses whether districts implementing strategic recruitment practices demonstrate a higher proportion of…

This article examines the impact on the adult facilitator of a Youth Participatory Action Research (YPAR) team at a rural high school in the Midwest. By focusing on the learning trajectory of the adult facilitator and emphasizing the youth's pedagogical and inspirational roles, it illuminates the potential impacts of YPAR on adults in a school…

Increasing education funding is a topic of discussion every year at the Minnesota State Legislature. In January, Governor Tim Walz proposed a 4% increase to the basic education formula allowance within the K-12 general education revenue program, the "education formula" that determines the majority of funding school districts receive from…

This qualitative, multiple case study explored educators' perceptions and measurements of success and approaches utilized in maximizing learner potential at three different Minnesota alternative learning program sites. Sites included Greater Minnesota, suburban, and urban settings. Methods involved eight one-on-one participant interviews, one…

Background and Context: Historically, women have been underrepresented in computer science. To address this gender gap, researchers advocate for high-quality computer science programs for early childhood. Objectives: This study examines gender differences in coding performance before and after implementing a 24-lesson visual programming curriculum…

The purpose of this study was to explore how a Virtual Professional Learning Community (VPLC) might serve as effective professional development for large ensemble teachers in rural communities interested in improving their pedagogy. We used a case study approach to investigate four rural music teachers who actively participated in an online…

The purpose of this qualitative study was to explore the factors that influenced a principal's decision to leave his or her rural school. Six principals who left their rural Minnesota schools within the previous year were interviewed to determine the perceived factors that led to their departure decisions. Factors were grouped into personal,…

The School Questionnaire was administered as part of the 2017-18 National Teacher and Principal Survey (NTPS), which is a state and nationally representative sample survey of public and private K-12 schools, principals, and teachers in the 50 states and the District of Columbia. The selected school samples include about 10,600 traditional and…

This promising practice describes the summer programming transformation at a rural, Title I school. After eliminating barriers to education and remediation overtones, the school now provides free transportation, meals, and books for all participants and engages them in research-based, enrichment-focused literacy learning. The program's first year…

Background: Adolescents frequently miss breakfast which may impact cognitive, academic, and health outcomes. This analysis describes the effect of a trial to assess school level changes to increase breakfast consumption on grade point average (GPA). Methods: Sixteen rural Minnesota high schools were randomized to a policy and environmental change…

In this article, we demonstrate that arts integration holds unique promise and benefits for helping rural teachers to provide more equitable arts opportunities for their students. These benefits include: professional network development in the service of both curricular development for arts integration and connecting teachers who often work in…

University of Minnesota (UMN) Extension has assisted schools in making policy, systems, and environmental (PSE) changes to improve the school food environment. UMN Extension's involvement in the Project breakFAST program demonstrates how Extension can provide training and technical assistance to support school staff in making PSE changes that…

Youth development researchers have focused on persistent challenges facing youth in diverse urban settings; thus, we know less about youth in rural communities. Using multilevel modeling, we explored contextual factors associated with school grades and educational aspirations. We find that, on average relative to students from urban schools,…

The Center on Reinventing Public Education (CRPE) has been studying the four-day school week since 2015. Since then, the phenomenon of the four-day school week has spread into non-rural areas and interest appears to be growing. Given these apparent changes, the author wanted to know more about recent trends in the initiative. As districts continue…

Community college sports teams don't play in nationally televised bowl games or championship tournaments that inspire betting pools in offices across America, but athletic teams at community colleges, especially those in rural areas, play a vital role in attracting a cohort of students who are culturally diverse. This article discusses the…