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Full-Text Articles in Education

"We'll Probably All Be In Trouble For Hugging A Kid": Rural Teacher Radicalism In Addressing Adverse Childhood Experiences, Catharine Biddle Nov 2022

"We'll Probably All Be In Trouble For Hugging A Kid": Rural Teacher Radicalism In Addressing Adverse Childhood Experiences, Catharine Biddle

The Rural Educator

There is a tension between the principles of global education reform, with its focus on fiscal efficiency, literacy and numeracy, and the increasing interest in meeting the needs of the whole child and addressing childhood adversity within schools. In rural communities, this tension may be heightened by fractured social service networks mediated by distance and the declining economic well-being of many communities perpetuated by decades of unfavorable social and economic policy. Drawing on focus group discussions with 110 rural Maine educators, this study examines how rural educators negotiate this tension in their day to day practice to address student needs …


Action Civics In Rural Communities, Karon N. Lecompte Ph.D., Kevin Magill, Brooke Blevins, Kenley Ritter, Tori Smith, Nate Scholten, Michelle Bauml Nov 2022

Action Civics In Rural Communities, Karon N. Lecompte Ph.D., Kevin Magill, Brooke Blevins, Kenley Ritter, Tori Smith, Nate Scholten, Michelle Bauml

The Rural Educator

We used an action civics curriculum and conducted a qualitative analysis of two fifth-grade classrooms in a rural setting called Green Independent School District (pseudonym). We organized the curriculum into a week-long study whereby we conducted interviews, collected student work, and analyzed teacher and student data. We focused on Baiocchi et al.'s (2014) concept of the civic imagination to analyze rural students' beliefs about themselves as citizens as they engaged in an action civics inquiry model of learning. Three primary findings emerged from our data; an emphasis on solidarity by citizens in the community, student use of problem-solving through civic …


Crafting Better Rural-Focused Postsecondary Policy By Identifying Rural-Serving Institutions, Andrew Koricich Nov 2022

Crafting Better Rural-Focused Postsecondary Policy By Identifying Rural-Serving Institutions, Andrew Koricich

The Rural Educator

No abstract provided.


Rural School District Leadership And Governance: Eating Your Veggies To Stay On The Balcony, Elizabeth Wargo, Ryan Cantrell, William P. Mccaw, Ivan Lorentzen Nov 2022

Rural School District Leadership And Governance: Eating Your Veggies To Stay On The Balcony, Elizabeth Wargo, Ryan Cantrell, William P. Mccaw, Ivan Lorentzen

The Rural Educator

School board trustees and superintendents must navigate overlapping roles and intersectional identities when engaging in rural school district governance work. If these individuals are not clear about the scope of their role and do not have a common understanding about the importance of high expectations for all, lack of coherent governance can negatively impact their district. Recently, one school district in rural Idaho has experienced phenomenal success. The district is in a very different place than it was just a little over five years ago. In this article insights are shared about the governance practices of trustees and the …


Factors That Affect School Counselor Retention In Rural Settings-An Exploratory Study, Rawn Boulden, Chris Schimmel Oct 2022

Factors That Affect School Counselor Retention In Rural Settings-An Exploratory Study, Rawn Boulden, Chris Schimmel

The Rural Educator

Teacher attrition is a well-known issue impacting K-12 schools in the United States. Sizeable research exists highlighting noteworthy factors that promote retention and attrition. However, scant research exists describing these factors within the context of school counselors working in rural settings. Considering this gap, we employed an inductive phenomenological approach to learn more about key attrition and retention factors, utilizing a sample of five rural school counselors employed in rural locales throughout the United States. Two overarching categories were identified: (a) school-based factors and (b) school community factors. Limitations and implications for rural school districts and counselor preparation programs are …


Increasing Rural Teacher Preparedness Through A Teacher Residency, Robin Valente, Jaclyn Tejwani, Valentin Pedroza, Selena Cartznes Oct 2022

Increasing Rural Teacher Preparedness Through A Teacher Residency, Robin Valente, Jaclyn Tejwani, Valentin Pedroza, Selena Cartznes

The Rural Educator

This promising practice describes an innovative approach to teacher education that a partnership among three rural districts and a university implemented through a rural teacher residency program . The Kern Rural Teacher Residency (KRTR) program in Kern County, California, was a five-year, federally funded grant program at California State University, Bakersfield (CSUB). KRTR was a district-serving teacher education program that paired a rigorous full-year classroom apprenticeship with graduate-level educational content. In a multi-year study that utilized surveys, focus groups, document review, and extant data analysis, findings indicated that, through participation in the residency, completers felt prepared to teach in rural …


2022-2027 National Rural Research Agenda, National Rural Education Association Jul 2022

2022-2027 National Rural Research Agenda, National Rural Education Association

The Rural Educator

No abstract provided.


Dynamic Policy Solutions For Rural El Educators, Elizabeth Thorne Wallington, Adrienne Johnson Jul 2022

Dynamic Policy Solutions For Rural El Educators, Elizabeth Thorne Wallington, Adrienne Johnson

The Rural Educator

No abstract provided.


Comparing Rural And Non-Rural Principal’S Instructional Leadership In The Age Of Essa, Cailen M. O'Shea Dr., Sarah J. Zuckerman Dr. Jul 2022

Comparing Rural And Non-Rural Principal’S Instructional Leadership In The Age Of Essa, Cailen M. O'Shea Dr., Sarah J. Zuckerman Dr.

The Rural Educator

This qualitative study compares the instructional leadership practices of rural and non-rural principals, seeking to understand contextually based differences in how principals create a focus on teaching and learning. Principals across settings report similarities in instructional leadership tasks; however, they reported significant contextual differences in how they are carried out. These include the use of formal distributed leadership in non-rural schools and informal distributed leadership in rural schools. Additionally, rural principals report adaptive practices that shape policy implementation in ways that support people-centered leadership. We conclude with areas for additional research: the unique demands of the role of principal-superintendent; how …


Understanding The Priorities And Practices Of Rural Science Teachers: Implications For Designing Professional Learning, Kerri Wingert, Jennifer Jacobs, William Lindsay, Abraham S. Lo, Cari F. Herrmann-Abell, William R. Penuel Jul 2022

Understanding The Priorities And Practices Of Rural Science Teachers: Implications For Designing Professional Learning, Kerri Wingert, Jennifer Jacobs, William Lindsay, Abraham S. Lo, Cari F. Herrmann-Abell, William R. Penuel

The Rural Educator

In order to design professional learning that supports rural science teachers to effectively implement standards-based “five-dimensional” (5D) instructional and assessment practices, a critical first step is to elicit their perspectives, prior experiences, concerns, and interests. Based on survey data from 87 rural science teachers in Colorado, along with focus group sessions with 18 of those teachers, this article investigates teachers’ perspectives on what makes rural science teaching unique, the degree to which they use 5D science instruction, their curricular and assessment resources, and their professional learning experiences and preferences. Overall, rural science teachers in Colorado reported using rich practices for …


The 2020-2021 Whippoorwill Award: Redefining And Reconsidering What Counts As Rural Ya Literature, Kate E. Kedley, Devon Brenner, Chea L. Parton, Karen Eppley, Nick Kleese, Jennifer Sanders, Stephanie Short Jul 2022

The 2020-2021 Whippoorwill Award: Redefining And Reconsidering What Counts As Rural Ya Literature, Kate E. Kedley, Devon Brenner, Chea L. Parton, Karen Eppley, Nick Kleese, Jennifer Sanders, Stephanie Short

The Rural Educator

No abstract provided.


Why Teachers Remain Teaching In Rural Districts: Listening To The Voices From The Field, Nancy L. Leech, Carolyn A. Haug, Eleanor Rodriguez, Molly Gold Jul 2022

Why Teachers Remain Teaching In Rural Districts: Listening To The Voices From The Field, Nancy L. Leech, Carolyn A. Haug, Eleanor Rodriguez, Molly Gold

The Rural Educator

Retaining teachers is a problem in all districts but is especially difficult in rural areas. This survey research asked teachers in a western state to respond to open ended questions regarding their choice for teaching in a rural or urban area. Results indicate teachers work in a rural locale because they grew up in the area, already lived there as an adult, and/or had a spouse/partner with a job in the area. Both rural and non-rural teachers cited the importance of a positive school environment with supportive administrators and good working conditions. Teachers stated inadequate working conditions at school affected …


National Rural Education Association Research Agenda–2022-2027: A Closer Look At The Research Priorities, Sara L. Hartman, J. Kessa Roberts, Sarah Schmitt-Wilson, Erin Mchenry-Sorber, Pamela J. Buffington, Catharine Biddle Jul 2022

National Rural Education Association Research Agenda–2022-2027: A Closer Look At The Research Priorities, Sara L. Hartman, J. Kessa Roberts, Sarah Schmitt-Wilson, Erin Mchenry-Sorber, Pamela J. Buffington, Catharine Biddle

The Rural Educator

No abstract provided.


The Impact Of Racial Trauma: A Crucial Conversation In Rural Education, Tameka O. Grimes, Shannon K. Roosma Jul 2022

The Impact Of Racial Trauma: A Crucial Conversation In Rural Education, Tameka O. Grimes, Shannon K. Roosma

The Rural Educator

Coinciding with the COVID-19 pandemic and the resulting global health crisis, George Floyd's murder was broadcast on social media and popular news (The Marshall Project, 2021). While COVID-19 reports demonstrated the ways Communities of Color and rural communities were disproportionately disadvantaged in the U.S. healthcare system (Artiga et al., 2020; Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2021; Dandachi et al., 2021; Fortuna et al., 2020), marches and rallies for Black Lives Matter became emblematic of social discord and civic demand for social justice to upend a racist law enforcement and judicial system (Rickford, 2016). These recent examples of systemic racism …


Uncovering Rural Educators' Secret Agency, Jennifer Karnopp May 2022

Uncovering Rural Educators' Secret Agency, Jennifer Karnopp

The Rural Educator

School change efforts often rely on formal organizational structures to support educator knowledge of new instructional practices. Rural districts face challenges accessing the resources necessary for robust structures, but informal relationships among educators are often strong. Using structuration theory as a lens, this paper examines the knowledge-building behaviors of educators in one rural school district regarding new instructional practices related to a recent initiative. A thematic analysis of interviews with a purposive sample of district educators reveals that, in the absence of robust formal supports, educator agency was critical for establishing informal knowledge-building structures that supported knowledge-sharing within district schools. …


Revisiting The Revolving Door Of Rural Superintendent Turnover, Barry Kamrath May 2022

Revisiting The Revolving Door Of Rural Superintendent Turnover, Barry Kamrath

The Rural Educator

This qualitative multiple case study is a follow-up to a study completed in 2007 that examined characteristics of rural school districts experiencing a high rate of superintendent turnover. The original study design incorporated extensive interviews with participants across four rural school districts; triangulating interview results with information found in school board minutes and published media articles. The four case districts had employed a total of 19 superintendents in the ten-year period leading up to the original study. However, since then, three of the districts have experienced a drastic change in their turnover trend. This study revisits the four rural districts …


The Potential Of Service Learning In Rural Schools: The Case Of The Working Together Project, Benjamin Ingman, Katie Lohmiller, Nick Cutforth, Elaine Belansky May 2022

The Potential Of Service Learning In Rural Schools: The Case Of The Working Together Project, Benjamin Ingman, Katie Lohmiller, Nick Cutforth, Elaine Belansky

The Rural Educator

Service learning has been established as a promising method of teaching and learning that engages youth as change agents in their schools and communities. But service learning has not been widely implemented or studied in rural K-12 schools. This study explores the case of a service learning curriculum, the Working Together Project (WTP), in a rural, high-poverty school. Data collection included classroom observations, surveys, and individual/focus group interviews with participants of the curriculum. The case study findings illustrate how the WTP curriculum unfolded with students, benefits for the school (cross-generational collaboration, school introspection and improvement), benefits for the students (collaborative …


Literacy In Place: Creating Community By Reading And Writing Rural Stories, Chea L. Parton May 2022

Literacy In Place: Creating Community By Reading And Writing Rural Stories, Chea L. Parton

The Rural Educator

No abstract provided.


The Impacts Of School Closure On Rural Communities In Canada: A Review, Michael Haynes May 2022

The Impacts Of School Closure On Rural Communities In Canada: A Review, Michael Haynes

The Rural Educator

In rural Canada the issue of school closures and consolidations due to low enrollment and heightened fiscal constraints has become a contentious and highly-charged issue for citizens and communities. This literature review synthesizes the major effects of school closure on rural communities, identifying economic impacts, social impacts, and implications for students. The historical context of Canadian rural schools, notions of rurality, urbanormativity and local complexity, along with considerations of urban-centred educational policy, are overarching themes identified in the rural school literature. These concepts were found to subsequently perpetuate the economic, social, and student-centred impacts reported. A relative dearth of research …


In-The-Moment Experiences Of Rural School Principals In The Covid-19 Pandemic, Simone White, Hobart Harmon, Jerry Johnson, Brian O'Neill May 2022

In-The-Moment Experiences Of Rural School Principals In The Covid-19 Pandemic, Simone White, Hobart Harmon, Jerry Johnson, Brian O'Neill

The Rural Educator

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 examples of how rural school leaders were able to find innovative ways early in the COVID-19 pandemic to address the remote learning needs of their students and families. This paper shares in-the-moment experiences of rural principals, and those who supported them, in quickly transitioning to address student needs when school buildings closed. …


Grounded In Relationships Of Support: Indigenous Teacher Mentorship In The Rural West, Vanessa Anthony-Stevens, Iva Moss, Angela Como Jacobson, Rebekka Boysen-Taylor, Shawna Campbell-Daniels Feb 2022

Grounded In Relationships Of Support: Indigenous Teacher Mentorship In The Rural West, Vanessa Anthony-Stevens, Iva Moss, Angela Como Jacobson, Rebekka Boysen-Taylor, Shawna Campbell-Daniels

The Rural Educator

This article explores the power of Indigenous teacher mentorship as essential to address “the change in point of view” long called for in Indigenous education. Drawing from a longitudinal, ethnographic study of an Indigenous teacher education program in a predominantly rural, high need region, we examine the basic questions: What do Indigenous master teachers uniquely bring to teacher education? In what ways do Indigenous master teachers support the development of socially, culturally, linguistically, and place-responsive teachers? Using the theoretical frameworks of Tribal Critical Race Theory (TribalCrit) and situated learning, our findings elucidate the importance of Indigenous mentorship for re-membering and …


Promising Practices In African American Rural Education College Transitions And Postsecondary Experiences, Loni Crumb, Crystal R. Chambers Feb 2022

Promising Practices In African American Rural Education College Transitions And Postsecondary Experiences, Loni Crumb, Crystal R. Chambers

The Rural Educator

No abstract provided.


Introduction For The Special Issue: Race And Rurality In Education Feb 2022

Introduction For The Special Issue: Race And Rurality In Education

The Rural Educator

No abstract provided.


Race, Repair, And Youth Participatory Action Research In One Rural School, Carol Thompson, Felicia Crockett Feb 2022

Race, Repair, And Youth Participatory Action Research In One Rural School, Carol Thompson, Felicia Crockett

The Rural Educator

This qualitative study examines the progress of a rural New Jersey school in addressing longstanding racial conflict after implementing a Youth Participatory Action Research project two years prior. Here we take up the thread as students continued to develop activities meant to increase awareness of ongoing issues, and as adults used professional development time to model best practices in managing racialized interactions. Eight teachers and staff not originally involved and nine students who had been directly involved were interviewed and a student focus group conducted. All participants agreed that progress had been made though issues around curriculum and discipline remained. …


Moving Into Critical Spaces: Making Meaning Of One Rural Educator’S Experiences Working With Latinx Immigrant Students, Stephanie Oudghiri Feb 2022

Moving Into Critical Spaces: Making Meaning Of One Rural Educator’S Experiences Working With Latinx Immigrant Students, Stephanie Oudghiri

The Rural Educator

This research highlights the experiences of one rural educator in a Midwestern elementary school. Initially grounded in Swanson’s middle range theory of caring (1991, 1993), the author sought to make meaning of how the participant worked with immigrant students, specifically undocumented Latinx students, through an ethic of care. As tensions emerged from classroom-based observations and interviews, the author chose to draw upon Critical Race Theory (CRT) as a way of examining how racism operates within educational spaces. Guided by Clandinin and Connelly’s (2000) narrative form, through the description (telling) and reflection (retelling), the author makes meaning of racial biases, microaggressions, …


“Does It Identify Me?”: The Multiple Identities Of College Students From Rural Areas, Elise J. Cain, Jenay F. E. Willis Feb 2022

“Does It Identify Me?”: The Multiple Identities Of College Students From Rural Areas, Elise J. Cain, Jenay F. E. Willis

The Rural Educator

The understanding of identities is an important component to understanding students and their experiences in educational contexts, especially in postsecondary education. There is limited information about the identities of college students from rural areas because this student population is often neglected as a distinct group in higher education literature. This article details a study utilizing narrative inquiry to explore the identities of three college students who graduated from high schools in rural areas. The findings suggest that these students’ races and ethnicities, genders and biological sexes, and sexual orientations were their salient social identities. Rurality was not a prominent identity, …


Educators’ Perspectives On Factors Impacting Stem Achievement In Rural Indigenous Student- Serving Schools, Annmaria De Mars, Juliana Taken Alive, Maria Burns Ortiz, Zixuan Ma, Minruo Wang Feb 2022

Educators’ Perspectives On Factors Impacting Stem Achievement In Rural Indigenous Student- Serving Schools, Annmaria De Mars, Juliana Taken Alive, Maria Burns Ortiz, Zixuan Ma, Minruo Wang

The Rural Educator

This study addressed the question, “What factors do experts perceive as impacting STEM achievement of students in rural schools with predominantly Indigenous students?” A thematic analysis of interviews with 40 educators with a depth of experience identified six major themes: holistic STEM education, inclusion of local culture in STEM education, highly qualified staff, STEM curriculum and instruction, technology, and STEM funding. These themes were interrelated. Holistic education demanded more individualized curriculum and required more highly qualified staff who could adapt the curriculum and integrate technology with traditional knowledge, but these educators were harder to hire and retain due to low …


Just Southern: Navigating The Social Construction Of A Rural Community In The Press For Educational Equity, Daniella Sutherland, Erin Mchenry-Sorber, Jacquelyn N. Willingham Feb 2022

Just Southern: Navigating The Social Construction Of A Rural Community In The Press For Educational Equity, Daniella Sutherland, Erin Mchenry-Sorber, Jacquelyn N. Willingham

The Rural Educator

Rural communities in the Southern US are shaped by a legacy of racial oppression carried out through educational systems, in tandem with contemporary policies that perpetuate the marginalization of minoritized students. In this qualitative, revelatory case study, we examine the experiences of rural, southern school leaders who are tasked with ensuring educational equity. Using critical place-based leadership and bonding/bridging theory, we examine the social construction of belonging in a rural southern community, and the implications for equity-centered educational leadership. We find the community maintains tight-knit bonding capital that is rooted in land ownership and racial exclusion, which is conceptualized as …


Adapt And Serve The Community!: Voices Of Families Of Youth Of Color In Predominantly White, Rural Communities, Carie Ruggiano Feb 2022

Adapt And Serve The Community!: Voices Of Families Of Youth Of Color In Predominantly White, Rural Communities, Carie Ruggiano

The Rural Educator

Currently, there is limited research that centers the voices of youth of Color and their families living and attending school in rural communities in the United States. This lack of representation is even more prominent among rural youth who identify in culturally, racially, and linguistically diverse ways and who reside and attend schools in predominantly white contexts. This qualitative case study sought to explore the experiences of parents of children who identify as youth of Color and who reside or attend school in predominantly white, rural settings. Drawing from in-depth interviews with five parents from four families, findings reveal that …


Rethinking Equity And Justice In Rural Organizations: Implications For Policy And Practice, Amy Price Azano, Darris R. Means Feb 2022

Rethinking Equity And Justice In Rural Organizations: Implications For Policy And Practice, Amy Price Azano, Darris R. Means

The Rural Educator

No abstract provided.