There is a shortage of special education teachers, particularly in rural locations. The revolving door of special educators is a burden on district taxpayers, administrators, and students in need of special programming. Therefore, increasing and improving special education teacher longevity is a need in most school districts in rural areas. The…

The purpose of this quantitative comparative study was to explore kindergarten teachers' perceptions of student readiness. The factors that impacted readiness when students entered kindergarten had not been clearly and consistently identified. The study extended research on factors associated with kindergarten student readiness and included…

In four years of high school education some students do not achieve the appropriate number of credits to receive a diploma. To support over-age, under-credited students, each high school has to intervene. Schools need to find ways to help students receive the credits needed, allow students to go beyond four years to graduate, or drop out of high…

This paper aims to understand the barriers that face access to the arts in rural high schools and to offer a selection of potential change ideas to combat these barriers that exist in school settings. The literature review shows that access to the arts in rural communities is a barrier to complete education for school aged children because rural…

There are evident shortages with increased demands for qualified special education teachers (SETs) nationwide (Peyton et al., 2021). Although efforts have been made to reduce SET attrition and increase retention, it is still unknown what job factors influence SETs' intent to stay, transfer, migrate, pursue administrative positions, pursue…

This quantitative comparison study was conducted to determine if there is a significant difference in multicultural and social justice competencies (MSJCC) between urban and rural school counselors in Pennsylvania. The purpose of the study was to discover how school counselors in different geographical areas assess their work within a…

In 2018, the Pennsylvania Department of Education (PDE) enacted a new law called Act 44, which provided new form of funding for school safety in school districts across the State of Pennsylvania. The study focused on how school superintendents and high school principals prioritized each category in Pennsylvania Act 44 from highest to the lowest…

This dissertation examined the differences in school board activities between high-achieving and low-achieving districts across urban, suburban, and rural settings in Pennsylvania. The focus was on understanding the disparities in official behaviors contributing to academic outcomes. This study addressed a critical gap in educational governance…

Despite many differences across Pennsylvania's rural school districts, band programs face similar recruitment, retention, and matriculation challenges. Rural school districts in Pennsylvania account for 235 of the 499 school districts in Pennsylvania while educating less than 20 percent of the student population in the state. In addition, rural…

Dual enrollment programs have been in existence for decades in public high schools in the United States. While there is literature on the academic impact of these programs with a focus on high school and college outcomes, there is a gap in the literature regarding what is known about students' experiences in dual enrollment programs that allow…

Children in rural settings are less likely to receive mental health services than their urban and suburban counterparts and even less likely to receive evidence-based care. Rural schools could address the need for mental health interventions by using evidence-based practices within a tiered system of supports such as positive behavioral…

This study examined minoritized student perceptions of connectedness through relationships, involvement, and environment in relation to their non-minoritized peers in rural Pennsylvania high schools. The study also examined academic and health risk behaviors of minoritized and non-minoritized students. A nonexperimental quantitative research…

Purpose: This study examines the local and institutional factors that shape how educators and educational leaders in western Pennsylvania have understood and responded to rapid growth in opioid misuse and drug overdose within their communities. We examine how educational leaders and educators in two rural school districts in western Pennsylvania…

Dr. McHenry-Sorber's and Dr. Hall Sutherland's study on rural schools in South Carolina, West Virginia, and Vermont is one of the first of its kind to explore the ways rural leaders implement state equity policies in their schools. Drawing on their expertise as rural scholars, they examine strategies, strengths, and challenges for rural community…

Elementary teachers continue to endure increased pressure as additional weights are pressed from state requirements and recommendations, local and national social burdens heighten, and confrontation with increased student needs persist; yet support structures devised for teachers to be able to enact transformational leaps lack. Questions guiding…