The COVID-19 pandemic has exposed the many existing inequalities in education systems across the world. Not all children have easy access to educational online resources or digital technologies, a situation more amplified in rural contexts where access, connectivity and affordability play a significant factor. This qualitative account reveals…

The purpose of this qualitative study was to examine building and district administrators' perceptions of the Kansas Dyslexia Initiatives. Their awareness and experiences may influence how administrators understand, plan for, and align the current approach for reading instruction within their respective buildings or district in relation to the…

A country's productivity and economic competitiveness rely upon education, specifically postsecondary training which is fundamental to students' upward mobility in a thriving and progressive economic culture (Haunshek & Woessmann, 2012; Bailey et al., 2015). In order to maintain the economic stability of the United States for future…

Understanding the context of rural school settings is critical to beginning school district leaders. Rural communities present multifaceted challenges that leaders must embrace as diverse community expectations unfold. The majority of Kansas school districts are in rural settings. Mentoring and induction shapes the experiences encountered during…

Data from Kansas' 265 rural school districts from 1978-1979 through 1983-1984 revealed that there were 928 principal turnovers during that period. There were 931 possible principalships: 286 high school principals and 36 assistant principals; 72 middle school principals; and 537 elementary school principals. Total principal changes reached a high…

Investigates the effects on school personnel of transferring all four elementary principals in a small rural district. Concludes that the move provided the challenge and motivation for professional growth for administrators, a change in administrative style for staff, and no noteworthy negative effects. (SV)

In order to investigate the attitudes of Kansas teachers and principals toward rural and small school libraries, a sample of 400 schools with an enrollment of less than 600 was surveyed. Three copies of a 20-item questionnaire were sent to the principal of each identified school; principals completed one copy and selected two teachers to fill out…

This study examined differences in nine factors between a group of the highest-performing needs high schools (HPHN) and a group of the lowest performing high-needs (LPHN) high schools using teacher responses from a national dataset. The factors are: (1) shared mission and goals; (2) professional development; (3) collaboration among teachers (4)…