Parent engagement continues to be problematic in schools. Although many schools have attempted to implement parent engagement programs, there are still significant challenges recruiting parents to engage with the school. Numerous studies have proven a strong relationship between parent involvement and student academic outcomes. Despite the vast…

This qualitative phenomenological study aimed to investigate how 14 elementary principals initiated and managed organizational change in high-poverty National Blue Ribbon award-winning elementary schools in rural and urban areas in the United States. Data was collected using a purposeful sampling method using a published list of exemplary…

This study examined how superintendents and principals' childhood experiences influenced the decisions they make regarding their students of poverty. A qualitative research design was used to gather findings and draw conclusions through an interview process of three superintendents and nine principals. The criteria for participation was being…

As stress impacts the organization and operations of a school, leader stressors may be determined by the setting, years of experience of the leader, and the greater educational landscape in which the principal must lead. The researchers sought to differentiate between the perceived stress and joy of urban and rural school principals. Findings…

This study was designed to explore the unique perspectives of African-American male principals serving in rural high-poverty, high-minority elementary schools regarding the residual effects of the North Carolina School Performance Grade Accountability Model and the perceived role that race plays in their recruitment, placement, and retention at…

Despite the fact that rural communities across the United States are rapidly diversifying (Fusarelli & Militello, 2012), little research has examined the beliefs and practices of successful rural educational leaders, specifically in high poverty schools and districts where traditionally marginalized students demonstrate improving learning…

The purpose of the present study was threefold: (a) What was the state of classroom teaching in Sierra Leone's rural schools? (b) What did school leaders report to be the most immediate needs for improving schools in rural Sierra Leone? (c) What contextual features affected school improvement in rural Sierra Leone? We employed a case study method…

Educators and students in schools across the United States have faced sweeping, unprecedented changes to teaching and learning as a result of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, which shuttered school buildings in spring 2020. This Data Note offers teachers' and principals' perspectives on some of those changes and presents their…

Research shows that school functioning and student achievement often suffer when effective principals leave their schools and that principal retention is related to the conditions they experience in five areas: working conditions, compensation, accountability, decision-making authority, and professional learning. A recent NASSP-LPI study examined…

Strong and stable school leadership is critical for success in schools across the nation. The duties of the principal are many and varied. Principals, for example, can oversee instruction, purchase curricular materials and supplies, and provide professional learning and supports for teachers. Carrying out these duties effectively makes a…

In a rural elementary school, characterized by high poverty levels in Appalachian Ohio, school personnel were concerned that student literacy and math proficiency levels remained low during 2005-2015 and teachers had not been able to close the achievement gap between economically disadvantaged students and non-economically disadvantaged students…

This study was conducted at the request of education policymakers who participate in the Montana Rural Recruitment and Retention Task Force. Like many states, Montana is struggling to recruit and retain qualified educators, especially in certain subject areas and in more rural parts of the state. The purpose of this study is to provide information…

School districts across the United States have had to make many difficult decisions to prepare for the 2020-2021 school year amid the ongoing coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. A seemingly impossible dilemma dominated planning: Should schools reopen buildings to provide much-needed in-person instruction but potentially risk the health…

In spring 2020, the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic led to an unprecedented and sweeping shift in the landscape of public schooling in the United States. Beginning in March, schools across the country closed their doors and adopted remote learning supports that varied in degree and type. In May 2020, researchers from the RAND…

This article examines how school superintendents and parents in high-needs rural districts conceptualized educational quality. Specifically, this comparative case study of two rural school superintendents presents a contextualized understanding of rural superintendents' and other educators' mainstream views of educational quality, parents and…