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The Rural Educator

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Rhetoric Or Change? The Role Of State Policies And Conditions In Shaping Postsecondary Education Access And Success For Rural Students, Darris R. Means, Jenay F. E. Willis, Kim Getfield, Devon Golden, Bryson Henriott, Brandon Lee, Alejandra Medina, Hannah Reilley, Lily K. Tunstall, Ying Zhou Jul 2024

Rhetoric Or Change? The Role Of State Policies And Conditions In Shaping Postsecondary Education Access And Success For Rural Students, Darris R. Means, Jenay F. E. Willis, Kim Getfield, Devon Golden, Bryson Henriott, Brandon Lee, Alejandra Medina, Hannah Reilley, Lily K. Tunstall, Ying Zhou

The Rural Educator

Since the 2016 U.S. presidential election, increasing attention has been paid to rural communities. For our study, we used a multicase study approach that included five states to study the difference between the rhetoric about the need to focus more attention on rural communities soon after the 2016 election and the practiced reality of state conditions (e.g., policies, practices, constraints) changing to support postsecondary education outcomes (e.g., enrollment, retention, and graduation) for rural students between 2017 and 2021. We collected and analyzed two forms of data for our study, legislative records and newspaper articles. We noted inequitable funding for rural …


Enhancing Social And Emotional Competencies In Rural Middle School Students: A Cluster-Randomized Study On Character Playbook, Gina Ricker Phd, Joanne Angosta Jul 2024

Enhancing Social And Emotional Competencies In Rural Middle School Students: A Cluster-Randomized Study On Character Playbook, Gina Ricker Phd, Joanne Angosta

The Rural Educator

This cluster-randomized pre-post study examined the effectiveness of Character Playbook, a digitally delivered, universal social-emotional learning (SEL) program, in enhancing social and emotional knowledge and confidence among rural middle school students. Pre- and post-assessments and surveys measured students’ knowledge and self-reported confidence related to social and emotional skills. The sample consisted of 128 students from two rural middle schools. Analyses of covariance with multiple imputations to account for missing data revealed that students who participated in Character Playbook demonstrated significantly higher knowledge and more positive confidence toward their social and emotional learning competency than the control group. These findings, with …


How Poverty Measures Account For Differences Between “In-Town” And “Out-Of-Town” Students, Robin Clausen Jul 2024

How Poverty Measures Account For Differences Between “In-Town” And “Out-Of-Town” Students, Robin Clausen

The Rural Educator

Rurality in education research is a function of the size of the school, the distance of a school in relation to urban areas, and factors within each school that may differentiate the school community based on geography. Distance matters. This study finds variation between rural communities at different distances from an urban center and differences based on analysis of student groups and student outcomes within a locale. By taking a granulated geographic approach to rurality we can better compare differences within locales. This analysis of the distance a student lives from school highlights socioeconomic differences between student groups. One related …


Rural Teacher Preparation In The State Of Alabama, Avington Medeiros, Eva Kane Jul 2024

Rural Teacher Preparation In The State Of Alabama, Avington Medeiros, Eva Kane

The Rural Educator

Rural teacher recruitment and retention is a matter of interest for the state of Alabama as policymakers look to understand teacher shortages in rural schools across the state. How teachers are prepared to teach in rural schools is an essential part of rural teacher recruitment and retention. Preservice teachers need exposure to rural contexts as a part of their teacher preparation programs. This study examined how teacher preparation programs in Alabama are integrating rural-specific components. Among the 25 teacher preparation programs in Alabama, nearly 25% reported integrating three or more rural-specific components into their teacher preparation programs. Some teacher preparation …


Exploring How Rural Schools And Communities Influence The Academic Journeys Of College Students In Stem Majors, Elise J. Cain, Anne Valauri, Jennifer R. Perry, Aliyah Deloach Jul 2024

Exploring How Rural Schools And Communities Influence The Academic Journeys Of College Students In Stem Majors, Elise J. Cain, Anne Valauri, Jennifer R. Perry, Aliyah Deloach

The Rural Educator

An incongruence exists between the growing job opportunities in rural areas and the educational opportunities provided to rural students, especially in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) fields. Positive change is possible, however. As one means to tackle this complex issue, this study sought to understand the perceptions and experiences of students who graduated from rural high schools and pursued STEM majors in college as exemplars of rural students who pursued postsecondary education in STEM disciplines. This phenomenological study explored how college students in STEM majors perceived their rural schools and communities as influencing their academic journeys. Rather than focusing …


Rural Students Find Their Voice On A College Campus, Ann K. Schulte, Karen Schreder Jul 2024

Rural Students Find Their Voice On A College Campus, Ann K. Schulte, Karen Schreder

The Rural Educator

For rural students, finding one’s voice and identity on a college campus and developing a sense of belonging are important for engagement and degree persistence. Rural affinity groups can create a feeling of comfort or connection that affirms students’ place identity and can lead to a more successful college experience. Additionally, an organized group of students can be a resource for the university to learn more about rural places, cultivate collaborations with rural communities, and develop a positive rural narrative. At California State University, Chico, the North State Student Ambassadors are paid student representatives of their rural communities. They do …


Addressing Food Insecurity: Why A Comprehensive Farm Bill Is Essential For Rural Communities, Stephanie Oudghiri Jul 2024

Addressing Food Insecurity: Why A Comprehensive Farm Bill Is Essential For Rural Communities, Stephanie Oudghiri

The Rural Educator

No abstract provided.


Learning From Each Other: Experiences Of Rural Principals In A Networked Learning Community, Jeana M. Partin, Sonya D. Hayes Apr 2024

Learning From Each Other: Experiences Of Rural Principals In A Networked Learning Community, Jeana M. Partin, Sonya D. Hayes

The Rural Educator

Rural school principals in Tennessee face serious challenges in leading their schools, including isolation, high turnover, and a lack of instructional leadership skills. Facilitated by a state university, the Tennessee Rural Principals Network (TRPN) was developed to provide professional learning opportunities for rural school principals. The purpose of this study was to explore the perceptions of principals in rural schools who participated in the TRPN during the years 2019–2021 (n = 133). The study used a basic qualitative research design with semi-structured interviews of 12 participants. Through our data analysis, key learning strengths and challenges were identified and organized …


Rural Parent Viewpoints Of What Makes College Possible: A Q Methodology Study, Carol Cutler White, Diane D. Chapman Apr 2024

Rural Parent Viewpoints Of What Makes College Possible: A Q Methodology Study, Carol Cutler White, Diane D. Chapman

The Rural Educator

Prior research on college choice indicates parents are the preferred source of information about college, yet little research exists from the viewpoint of parents, and even less research from the viewpoint of rural and minoritized parents. Using Q methodology, this study explored rural parent viewpoints of what makes college possible. The study was framed in social capital, community cultural wealth, and Perna’s conceptual model of college choice. Factor analysis showed five distinct viewpoints and three consensus viewpoints among the parents. The five distinct factor viewpoints focused on academic achievement, college costs, the influence of family and friends, hard work, and …


Rural, Poor And Working-Class Student Postsecondary Experiences During The Covid-19 Pandemic: Policy Lessons Learned For Supporting Future College Success, Ty C. Mcnamee, Sonja Ardoin, Jenay F.E. Willis Apr 2024

Rural, Poor And Working-Class Student Postsecondary Experiences During The Covid-19 Pandemic: Policy Lessons Learned For Supporting Future College Success, Ty C. Mcnamee, Sonja Ardoin, Jenay F.E. Willis

The Rural Educator

In this policy brief, we use research findings to illuminate experiences during the COVID-19 pandemic of U.S. rural college students from poor and working-class backgrounds. We offer institutional, state, and federal policy lessons gleaned from such experiences. We show how rural, poor and working-class students’ higher education success was impacted by COVID-19 and how the pandemic highlighted and exacerbated existing systemic geographic and social class barriers faced by such students pursuing college. In turn, we hope postsecondary policymakers at the institutional, state, and federal levels can learn from these experiences to better support rural, poor, and working-class students in the …


Addressing The Rural Youth Mental Health Crisis Through Youth Mental Health First Aid, Rawn Boulden, Christine Schimmel Apr 2024

Addressing The Rural Youth Mental Health Crisis Through Youth Mental Health First Aid, Rawn Boulden, Christine Schimmel

The Rural Educator

This promising practice describes a statewide effort to address the surging youth mental health crisis through the provision of Youth Mental Health First Aid trainings in West Virginia Public Schools. Youth Mental Health First Aid is an evidence-based training for adults who work with youth. This interactive training increases participants’ awareness of signs and symptoms of mental health challenges, adolescent development, the prevalence of mental health challenges among youth, and the steps they should take to ensure students with mental health challenges receive timely referral to mental health professionals. This intervention has proven highly effective in rural schools in West …


Culturally Conflicted: Women In Rural Appalachian School Leadership, Jana Stone, Carinna Ferguson, Rawn Boulden Apr 2024

Culturally Conflicted: Women In Rural Appalachian School Leadership, Jana Stone, Carinna Ferguson, Rawn Boulden

The Rural Educator

This qualitative case study explores the perceptions of school leadership that future school counselors have regarding leadership roles for women in rural Appalachia. Using a feminist-geographical lens, several cultural, economic, geographic, and identity-based themes were found. Participants’ definitions of ideal school leadership included strong community collaboration, advocacy, and leading by example. Some aspects of participants’ rural hometowns supported these ideals, such as a community culture offering high levels of cohesion and familial support, leading to them wanting to live there again. However, other characteristics of the community culture, such as being closed to change, sexism against women in leadership, and …


Strategies To Recruit And Retain The Rural School Mental Health Workforce, Elaine S. Belansky, Liliana Diaz Solodukhin, Anna Edelman, Savannah Hobbs, Cynthia Hazel, Nicholas Cutforth Apr 2024

Strategies To Recruit And Retain The Rural School Mental Health Workforce, Elaine S. Belansky, Liliana Diaz Solodukhin, Anna Edelman, Savannah Hobbs, Cynthia Hazel, Nicholas Cutforth

The Rural Educator

The United States is experiencing a teacher shortage crisis that is even more pronounced in rural communities. Teachers may be driven away from the profession if they feel inadequately trained or under-supported to address students’ mental health needs. As such, an important teacher retention strategy is to ensure schools have enough mental health professionals. The goal of this study was to explore three different yet complementary strategies to recruit and retain a robust rural school mental health workforce: a rural immersion program for graduate students enrolled in counseling and school psychology programs, a virtual professional development series for existing rural …


Tribal College And University (Tcu) Leadership, Faculty, And Staff Perspectives On Student Success, Natalie R. Youngbull, David Sanders Feb 2024

Tribal College And University (Tcu) Leadership, Faculty, And Staff Perspectives On Student Success, Natalie R. Youngbull, David Sanders

The Rural Educator

This article highlights how Tribal college leadership, faculty, and staff members define student success. Several major factors were described across the different levels of participants and are presented as the major themes: cultivating a familial environment, mission centered, cultural knowledge and wealth, community impact, and student goals achieved.


From Theory To Practice: How The Cheyenne And Arapaho Department Of Education (Re)Centered Indian Education In Western Rural Oklahoma, Carrie F. Whitlow Feb 2024

From Theory To Practice: How The Cheyenne And Arapaho Department Of Education (Re)Centered Indian Education In Western Rural Oklahoma, Carrie F. Whitlow

The Rural Educator

The Cheyenne and Arapaho Department of Education (CADOE) functions as a tribal education department (TED) in western rural Oklahoma, situated within a tribal government that has a total membership of 13,212, 3,160 of whom are ages 3–18 years. CADOE has supported and advocated for equal opportunity and access for Cheyenne and Arapaho families and students since its inception. The purpose of this article is to utilize the Liberating Sovereign Potential framework to illustrate how CADOE continues to employ tenets from the model to liberate their sovereign potential, often serving students and families in rural contexts. While significant literature addresses Indigenous …


Introduction To Joint Special Issue Between The Rural Educator And Journal Of American Indian Education Collaboration: Issue 1, Alex Redcorn, Daniella Sutherland, Anna Lees, Mandy Chesley-Park, Braxton Redeagle Feb 2024

Introduction To Joint Special Issue Between The Rural Educator And Journal Of American Indian Education Collaboration: Issue 1, Alex Redcorn, Daniella Sutherland, Anna Lees, Mandy Chesley-Park, Braxton Redeagle

The Rural Educator

No abstract provided.


“It Ain’T Gonna Be My History”: Collaborative Meaning-Making To Advance Curricular Sovereignty With(In) Rural, Indigenous-Serving Schools, Amanda Leclair-Diaz, Christine Stanton Feb 2024

“It Ain’T Gonna Be My History”: Collaborative Meaning-Making To Advance Curricular Sovereignty With(In) Rural, Indigenous-Serving Schools, Amanda Leclair-Diaz, Christine Stanton

The Rural Educator

This article describes storywork and collaborative meaning making as relational practices that can support stakeholder learning about curricular sovereignty with(in) rural Indigenous-serving school districts. While various treaties and policies exist to protect the educational interests of Indigenous Nations, enacting curricular sovereignty often demands extensive resources that are limited in many rural reservation and reservation bordertown contexts. The authors, who have a long-standing relationship as co-learners, exchange stories about their experiences as an Indigenous student and non-Indigenous educator within such contexts, and then engage in collaborative meaning making to think more deeply about these experiences as curriculum decision makers and scholars. …


Healing And Connectedness At Akhiok Kids Camp, Speridon Simeonoff Sr., Judy Simeonoff, Teacon Simeonoff, Speridon Simeonoff Jr., Sven Haakanson Jr., Cheri Simeonoff, Balika Haakanson, Leilani Sabzalian Feb 2024

Healing And Connectedness At Akhiok Kids Camp, Speridon Simeonoff Sr., Judy Simeonoff, Teacon Simeonoff, Speridon Simeonoff Jr., Sven Haakanson Jr., Cheri Simeonoff, Balika Haakanson, Leilani Sabzalian

The Rural Educator

Each August, Sugpiaq Elders, community members, and educators gather in Cape Alitak to host Akhiok Kids Camp, a week-long culture camp that provides a space for local Sugpiaq youth to learn and carry forward traditional lifeways and promotes youth’s self-esteem, identity, and healthy choices. This article traces the legacy of the camp and outlines its ongoing vision and curriculum, including the Indigenous values and principles of education that guide camp activities. Of particular focus is the role of camp in fostering Sugpiaq youth’s sense of connectedness to their homelands, waters, community, and culture, a focus that promotes healing, cultural resurgence, …


Seasons Of Learning: Rural Indigenous Teacher Preparation, Dani O'Brien, Josh Montgomery, Bezhigogaabawiikwe Hunter, Niizhoobinesiikwe Howes, Waasegiizhigookwe Rosie Gonzalez, Manidoo Makwe Ikwe, Kevin Zak Feb 2024

Seasons Of Learning: Rural Indigenous Teacher Preparation, Dani O'Brien, Josh Montgomery, Bezhigogaabawiikwe Hunter, Niizhoobinesiikwe Howes, Waasegiizhigookwe Rosie Gonzalez, Manidoo Makwe Ikwe, Kevin Zak

The Rural Educator

We, four teachers in Ojibwe or majority-Ojibwe schools and three teachers in teacher preparation at a small ecologically focused liberal arts college, tell stories to reorient ourselves, centering place in ways accessible to our emerging practice. In these narratives, anchored in the seasons, we describe our challenges and successes in adapting education programs to better evoke the lifeways that predominate in our shared part of rural northern Wisconsin immersed in the lands of the Ojibwe. We relied on experiences, both ours and of Ojibwe learners, to illuminate the rhythms of our place and the seasons of learning defined by boreal …


Why Rural Matters 2023: Centering Equity And Opportunity: A Discussion With The Research Team, Sara L. Hartman, Jerry Johnson, Daniel Showalter, Karen Eppley, Bob Klein Oct 2023

Why Rural Matters 2023: Centering Equity And Opportunity: A Discussion With The Research Team, Sara L. Hartman, Jerry Johnson, Daniel Showalter, Karen Eppley, Bob Klein

The Rural Educator

Authors of the Why Rural Matters 2023 report discuss its development and key findings.


A Guide To Proactively Navigate Policy Conflict For Rural Educational Leaders, Daniella Sutherland Oct 2023

A Guide To Proactively Navigate Policy Conflict For Rural Educational Leaders, Daniella Sutherland

The Rural Educator

No abstract provided.


“There's An Unspoken Set Of Rules”: Rural Education In The Northern Plains, Louise M. Yoho, Jarrett D. Moore Oct 2023

“There's An Unspoken Set Of Rules”: Rural Education In The Northern Plains, Louise M. Yoho, Jarrett D. Moore

The Rural Educator

Teacher preparation programs that operate in rural areas need to consider the lived experiences of rural students when making instructional decisions. However, exploration of rural schools and educators is seriously limited. This study aims to gain an understanding of students enrolled in teacher preparation programs in rural areas of the Northern Plains and the unique experiences they bring to, and need from, preservice teacher training programs. Seventeen interviews were conducted with rural participants who were enrolled in teacher preparation programs. Based on the data collected, we do not recommend changing the traditional canon of teacher preparation but do recommend contextualizing …


Rural Teachers’ Burnout, Well-Being, And Covid-19 Related Stress During The Pandemic, Jennifer D. Deaton, L. Dianne Borders, Carrie Wachter Morris, Jasmine L. Garland Mckinney, Saron Fantahun, Alexandria N. Smith Oct 2023

Rural Teachers’ Burnout, Well-Being, And Covid-19 Related Stress During The Pandemic, Jennifer D. Deaton, L. Dianne Borders, Carrie Wachter Morris, Jasmine L. Garland Mckinney, Saron Fantahun, Alexandria N. Smith

The Rural Educator

To date, researchers have not explored the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the well-being of rural teachers specifically. Rural schools already faced long-standing issues of lower salaries, professional isolation, teacher shortages, and technology challenges, suggesting rural teachers may have experienced even higher levels of distress due to the pandemic. Overall, however, teachers from one rural county school system in the southeastern United States reported moderate COVID-19 concerns, low distress, and moderate well-being. Results could reflect responses characteristic of rural resilience. Further study is needed to explore teachers’ unique coping strategies.


Examining The Relationship Of Teacher And Peer Belonging To Rural Attachment And Community Aspirations Among Diverse Rural Youth, Greysi Irdam, Angela Starrett, Matthew J. Irvin, Christine Lotter, Jan A. Yow Oct 2023

Examining The Relationship Of Teacher And Peer Belonging To Rural Attachment And Community Aspirations Among Diverse Rural Youth, Greysi Irdam, Angela Starrett, Matthew J. Irvin, Christine Lotter, Jan A. Yow

The Rural Educator

This study examines how race/ethnicity moderates the relationship of teacher and peer belonging in mathematics and science classrooms with rural attachment and aspirations (i.e., community and proximity aspirations) among rural secondary students. Data were collected from a larger rural teacher leadership study and include 6,616 rural student participants who were surveyed from 2015 to 2019. Our findings reveal that peer and teacher belonging is related to adolescents’ rural attachment and both community and proximity aspirations differently across race/ethnicity. Also, while rural youth of color compared to White students tend to have lower levels of rural attachment and aspirations, results illustrate …


Rural Teachers’ And Non-Rural Teachers’ Motivations To Teach: Differences And Similarities, David J. Leech, Nancy L. Leech, Evan Mcclintock, Carolyn A. Haug Oct 2023

Rural Teachers’ And Non-Rural Teachers’ Motivations To Teach: Differences And Similarities, David J. Leech, Nancy L. Leech, Evan Mcclintock, Carolyn A. Haug

The Rural Educator

The purpose of this study was to explore the motivations of teachers in a Midwestern state that has a mix of rural and non-rural geographic regions. Namely, this study set out to identify differences between educators working in rural areas and those working in non-rural (urban or suburban) regions by examining their motivations, perceptions, and reasons for teaching through administration of the Factors Influencing Teaching Choice (FIT-Choice) survey to a group of 616 Midwestern educators. Multiple group confirmatory factor analysis confirms that the collected data do fit the model as outlined by Watt and Richardson, and significant differences were found …


Promising Practice: Book Studies As Professional Development For Rural Teachers, Erika L. Bass, Anthony Olson Oct 2023

Promising Practice: Book Studies As Professional Development For Rural Teachers, Erika L. Bass, Anthony Olson

The Rural Educator

This promising practice article describes conducting book studies as professional development in rural communities. In this article, we share our understanding of the importance of this type of professional development in rural schools, as well as considerations for those who wish to start something similar in their districts.


The Benefits Of University Faculty As P-12 Substitute Teachers, Odin Jurkowski, Deanna Jurkowski, Rene Burress Jul 2023

The Benefits Of University Faculty As P-12 Substitute Teachers, Odin Jurkowski, Deanna Jurkowski, Rene Burress

The Rural Educator

The current substitute teacher shortage was exacerbated by COVID-19 and is not expected to improve any time soon. A solution that may benefit both P-12 schools and higher education involves the occasional utilization of university faculty as substitute teachers. This alleviates some of the pressure on school districts in finding substitute teachers while also building relationships, providing university faculty with current classroom experience, and serving as a recruitment pipeline.


Policy Brief: An Interview With U. S. Department Of Education Director Of Rural Engagement Julia Cunningham, Devon Brenner, Julia Cunningham Jul 2023

Policy Brief: An Interview With U. S. Department Of Education Director Of Rural Engagement Julia Cunningham, Devon Brenner, Julia Cunningham

The Rural Educator

Julia Cunningham joined the Department of Education in March 2023 as Director, Rural Engagement in the Office of Communications and Outreach. Recently, Julia sat down with Devon Brenner, editor of The Rural Educator, to talk about her role and resources at the U.S. Department of Education for rural education.


“I Just Kind Of Felt Like Country Come To Town:” College Student Experiences For Rural Students At One Flagship University, Phillip D. Grant, Dena Kniess Jul 2023

“I Just Kind Of Felt Like Country Come To Town:” College Student Experiences For Rural Students At One Flagship University, Phillip D. Grant, Dena Kniess

The Rural Educator

Rural undergraduate students at flagship universities in the United States are typically outnumbered by their urban and suburban peers. Students from rural demographic backgrounds bring different forms of social and cultural capital to higher education with them. This phenomenological study at a flagship university in the Deep South region of the United States examines their experiences through the lens of Constructed Environment Perspectives to assess how rural students evaluate their sense of fit at an institution of higher education. Rural students in this study noted that they began their first year of postsecondary education with a smaller social network than …


Conceptualizing Rurality In Education Policy: Comparative Evidence From Missouri, Abby Burrola, Dorothy Rohde-Collins, J. Cameron Anglum Jul 2023

Conceptualizing Rurality In Education Policy: Comparative Evidence From Missouri, Abby Burrola, Dorothy Rohde-Collins, J. Cameron Anglum

The Rural Educator

For education policies to be implemented most effectively in local contexts, policymakers must consider diverse school and community geographic characteristics. For example, rural geographies often present particularly important dynamics for public schooling, including challenges with school enrollment, school funding, and teacher labor markets. We focus on Missouri, where over two-thirds of its school districts are located in rural areas. Enrollment in these districts varies over 100-fold, yet little research describes the similarities and differences between these districts and how to appropriately distinguish between them to best advise contemporary policymaking. In this study, we analyze data from the American Community Survey, …