The purpose of this quantitative method, causal-comparative study was to explore the impact of gender, socioeconomic status, school climate, and parental involvement on reading ability and intrinsic motivation. This study focused on a group of 113 9th grade students from a rural Tennessee high school. Data were collected and analyzed to determine…

Public schools in America are experiencing a massive decline in student enrollment, resulting in school consolidations and closures across the nation. (Dee, 2023). This decline has many implications, particularly in rural areas, such as Northeast Tennessee. These implications and the public pressure to maintain high graduation rates and academic…

This qualitative descriptive study aimed to examine veteran high school teachers' perspectives concerning dishonesty in the classroom, teachers and administrative management, and the role of moral leaders in an environment where dishonest behavior occurs. These three objectives aided this investigator in forming and guiding the research questions.…

Despite existing research in popular music education, a gap exists in the literature concerning popular music education for rural East Tennessee high school band programs. The purpose of this qualitative research was to address the history of societal acceptance of popular music styles as well as changes within the field of music education…

Rural Appalachia encompasses a region of the United States represented by unique cultural strengths and systemic challenges. To meet their students' career and college needs, school counselors working in rural Appalachia must understand the cultural nuances of the region. Consensual qualitative research (CQR) methodology revealed five domains and…

The researchers' mixed-method study provided an analysis of exam exemption policies. The researchers determined what impact exam exemptions have on high school students' attendance (days absent) and academic achievement (grade average) and analyzed perceptions surrounding exam exemptions as motivators. The researchers determined the difference…

The era of accountability and a rise in standardized testing during recent years have emerged from policy reform initiatives designed to increase student performance. While the goal was to increase learning standards, it has not yielded the dramatic improvements expected. This study explored if there was a statistically significant difference in…

This qualitative case study investigated rural high school social studies teachers' perceptions of Robert Stahl's decision-making materials within their content area and the relevance of curricular implementation. The primary questions addressed in this study focused on high school social studies teachers' perception of current instructional…

Nearly one quarter of all youth with disabilities attend rural schools. Supporting the successful postschool transitions of these youth can be a complex and challenging endeavor. In this study, we used "community conversation" events as a methodology for identifying the practices and partnerships needed to improve transition outcomes for…

The COVID-19 pandemic plunged education communities into an emergency mode of operation and challenged the pedagogic core of education. Schools across America suddenly lost access to everything essential to their daily educational practices, including face-to-face interactions with students. School administrators scrambled to devise remote…

Research was limited when it came to identifying the perceptions of high school teachers regarding virtual schooling, chronic absenteeism, and class participation especially in rural areas. With the rise in wide-scale implementation of virtual school options as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, educational leaders and policy makers implemented…

Since the early 1900s, educational leaders and policymakers looked to consolidation as a way for rural schools and school systems to overcome financial challenges and improve the educational experiences for students. Stakeholders were met with conflicting claims about the effects of school and system consolidation. Proponents of consolidation…

The ways in which high schools allocate their staffing and assign individual roles related to career development are pertinent to students with and without disabilities accessing career preparation that equips them for employment following graduation. Rural school districts can especially benefit from strategic role allocation that addresses gaps…

The transition from a public middle school to a public high school represents a pivotal point in the educational trajectory of a student. To combat freshman transition challenges, school district administrators created Freshman Academy models. This study examines the impact of two Freshman Academy models, isolated and school-within-a-school, on…

After the COVID-19 pandemic came to the United States in March 2020, teachers and educational leaders looked to virtual learning as a way for students to overcome learning challenges and improve educational experiences for students. Stakeholders were met with conflicting claims about virtual learning. Proponents of virtual learning claimed virtual…