This research project explored the factors affecting the adoption of an innovative and active English language teaching (ELT) strategy by Lao teachers. It also investigated why many teachers found it difficult to adopt the strategy and how an understanding of this difficulty resulted in the creation of an in-service teacher training program.…

Regional Public Universities (RPUs) advance public good missions to foster postsecondary access, student-centeredness, and regional wellbeing. Despite the important contributions that RPUs make to their regions and students, scholars and the media often view the sector as amorphous and undistinguished, or they define RPUs by what they are not…

High school principals can change the status quo of the current iniquitous disparities in the education system between South Carolina's rural high schools and their more populated and affluent suburban schools. Using a non-standard structure and the resources in their control, these school leaders can find solutions so schools can offer rural…

Educator retention is a concern plaguing the nation. Schools struggle yearly to fill positions for classroom educators as teachers leave the profession. This phenomenological study examined a rural Central Texas school district and its educators' perceptions of retention issues. Multiple classroom educators were interviewed at a Title 1 rural…

The purpose of this study was to examine whether rural college students had significantly different probabilities of experiencing academic, financial, and health-related difficulties during the COVID-19 pandemic compared to students attending urban/suburban colleges or universities. The data were drawn from a multi-institutional survey of 31,575…

We evaluate two interventions designed to improve students' postsecondary readiness, as measured by their GPA, self-reported career readiness, and self-reported social emotional constructs, in rural districts. Student Success Planning (SSP) was implemented by 17 rural districts in New York and Ohio and included quarterly meetings between students…

This brief provides an overview of the postsecondary readiness-focused interventions that districts partnering with the National Center for Rural Education Research Networks (NCRERN) implemented and evaluated through a randomized controlled trial during the 2021-22 school year. NCRERN districts piloted two interventions aimed at improving…

The goal of Smithsonian Science for North and South Carolina Classrooms was to provide teachers with ongoing, differentiated professional development and research-based curricular materials to improve elementary student achievement in science, mathematics, and reading. This work used an inquiry-based science curriculum, Smithsonian Science for the…

Rural community colleges serve as engines of economic opportunity and equity, offering students place-based programs and pathways that lead to good jobs. They also develop dynamic and responsive industry partnerships, to ensure their workforce education and training curriculum, programs, and transfer pathways meet the needs of local employers and…

The five-year project, "Smithsonian Science for North and South Carolina Classrooms" (hereafter "Smithsonian Science"), offers important evidence on the impact of the phenomena-driven science curriculum, "Smithsonian Science for the Classroom," paired with ongoing, differentiated, high-quality professional learning…

This article explores the identity and image of a Waldorf school in a poor rural community in Central Philippines. The school strives for great ideals. The article examines whether these ideals are supported and implemented by its teachers and students (identity), and how they are perceived by outsiders, e.g. teachers and students at a nearby…

Positive school climate is associated with myriad positive student, staff, and school outcomes, including increased achievement and decreased problem behavior. Hence, universal evidence-based practices are necessary to increase school climate. One universal approach with evidence of effects on school climate is School-Wide Positive Behavior…

Science education is essential for sustainability and prosperity. However, students from rural communities, arguably the future custodians of our environment and significant drivers of our economies, underperform in science education. In Australia, rural students generally lag behind metropolitan students in science achievement and engagement.…

In this article, we reveal the complex and contested nature of principals' understandings of inclusion policy in the state of New South Wales, Australia. Drawing upon critical policy sociology, research into inclusion, and interviews with 18 principals from rural, regional and urban areas throughout the state, the research shows how principals…

This article examines how states and community colleges can streamline the transfer process through an innovative national program known as Interstate Passport. The program enables block transfer of lower-division general education attainment based on a set of learning outcomes rather than on individual courses and credits. The article shows how…