Washington State University, Responsibility Opportunity Advocacy and Respect (WSU ROAR) is an inclusive 2-year residential postsecondary education program for students with intellectual and developmental disabilities. WSU ROAR is a recognized comprehensive transition program located in rural eastern Washington. Within the program, there are four…

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…

Washington State struggles to retain qualified and diverse teachers. This teacher shortage is particularly acute in rural areas. To address this issue, the 2019 State Legislature directed the Washington Student Achievement Council (WSAC) to produce a report with policy recommendations for increasing student teachers' field placement in rural areas…

"Rural Education in America" provides a comprehensive framework for understanding the diversity and complexity of rural communities in the United States and for helping rural educators implement and evaluate successful place-based programs tailored for students and their families. Written by educators who grew up in rural America and…

In this descriptive and comparative study, we present results highlighting the complexity and scope of the challenges facing rural districts as they navigate the changing demographics of the students and families they serve. Rapid increases in the number and concentration of racially, culturally, and linguistically diverse students in rural areas…

Place-based mathematics education (PBME) has the potential to engage students with the mathematics inherent in the local land, culture, and community. However, research has identified daunting barriers to this pedagogy, especially in abstract mathematics courses such as algebra and beyond. In this study, 15 graduates of a doctoral program in rural…

The teaching of mathematics, which arguably is so abstract as to transcend place and community and even culture (according at least to a Platonic view of mathematics), will seem to some observers particularly ill-suited to instruction in place- or community- or culture-based approaches. Nevertheless, current thinking in mathematics education,…

Reviews a rural Washington State teacher's experience in approaching the sensitive topic of sex education. Includes advice on dealing with opposing parents, church, and school officials. The reported lesson considered the biology and reproduction of a pet boa constrictor. (TES)

The rural girls in science program presented a comprehensive model of the entire scientific process. National Science Foundation funded a program, which targeted girls in rural schools serving American Indian or Latina, who are less fortunate than American students of Washington State.

Provides an overview and discusses outcomes of the Rural Girls in Science (RGS) program which was developed to foster interest in science, engineering, and mathematics among rural high school girls in the state of Washington. Replaces initial guiding concepts (self-esteem and scientific pipeline) with science-affirming and affirming science…

In 1982-83, the State of Washington's 299 public school districts (K-12) educated more than 738,000 students; over 70% of these school districts enrolled fewer than 2,000 students and 40% enrolled fewer than 500 students. The small school (fewer than 500 students) graduation rate of 92.6% was 10.6% higher than the statewide average of 82%. Nine…

A Cashmere School District, Washington, project trained a cadre of rural educators and provided them with necessary skills and materials to conduct career education inservice training. Over fifty participants attended ten-day workshops at which the nine training modules developed by the project were used. Designed for independent presentation,…

Describes an approach to combining health and social work services in a small community in a nontraditional setting through the use of a multidisciplinary student training project. Discusses professional relationships, service provision, patient use of services, and patient satisfaction. Provides suggestions for the establishment of similar…

The purpose of this study was to explore the reasons 162 rural area high school students participate in the dual enrollment program. Dual enrollment programs allow high school students to enroll in college courses for credit prior to high school graduation with local school districts covering the cost of tuition. Participants in this study were…

Discusses the problems and impact of national trends on small towns and how small towns in eastern Washington have adapted to social and economic change. Illustrates how small towns try to address contemporary concerns such as computerization, the environment, and the expanding needs of their communities while continuing to hold on to their…