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The Rural Educator

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Full-Text Articles in Education

“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. …


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 …


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, …


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.


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 …


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.


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 …


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.


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 …


“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.


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.


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.


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, …


Exploring Factors Associated With Academic Motivation And College And Career Readiness Of Rural Adolescents, Peter N. Knox Jul 2023

Exploring Factors Associated With Academic Motivation And College And Career Readiness Of Rural Adolescents, Peter N. Knox

The Rural Educator

Past decades have seen an increase in focus on college and career readiness (CCR) policy and programming to meet the growing demand for a high-skill, global, 21st-century workforce. Recent research indicates many adolescents aspire to succeed in various postsecondary paths, but a persistent gap between aspirations and attainment remains. This is particularly true for traditionally underserved and underrepresented populations, such as those from rural communities. Looking beyond academic metrics such as test scores, grade point averages, and course offerings, this study seeks to address this gap by investigating rural adolescent school context and experience factors that may be associated with …


“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 …


The 2023 Whippoorwill Award: The 2023 Whippoorwill Award: Complex Representations Of Rural Identities And Places, Chea L. Parton, Erika L. Bass, Devon Brenner, Kate E. Kedley, Alan Hoffmann, Jennifer Sanders, Jacqueline Yahn Mrs., Michael Young Jul 2023

The 2023 Whippoorwill Award: The 2023 Whippoorwill Award: Complex Representations Of Rural Identities And Places, Chea L. Parton, Erika L. Bass, Devon Brenner, Kate E. Kedley, Alan Hoffmann, Jennifer Sanders, Jacqueline Yahn Mrs., Michael Young

The Rural Educator

Announcing the 2023 Whippoorwill Award winners.


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.


Reaching Rural Students With Resources And Enrichment-Focused Learning In The Summer Months, Kathrina M. O'Connell Apr 2023

Reaching Rural Students With Resources And Enrichment-Focused Learning In The Summer Months, Kathrina M. O'Connell

The Rural Educator

This promising practice describes the summer programming transformation at a rural, Title I school. After eliminating barriers to education and remediation overtones, the school now provides free transportation, meals, and books for all participants and engages them in research based, enrichment focused literacy learning. The program’s first year experienced a 746% increase in registration, 34% increase in retention, and 18% increase in attendance. Similar registration and participation numbers were reported in years two - four, with reading growth demonstrated in all four summers. Both students and their parents reported increased engagement and motivation to read in the summer months. Results …


A Systematic Review Of Research On Race In Rural Educational Scholarship Since 2001, Timberly L. Baker, Joy Howard, Amy Swain Apr 2023

A Systematic Review Of Research On Race In Rural Educational Scholarship Since 2001, Timberly L. Baker, Joy Howard, Amy Swain

The Rural Educator

This systematic review of literature on race in rural educational scholarship addresses the research question: 1) How are race and racism typically represented (defined, discussed) in rural education literature? a) What factors have been explored at length in regard to race and racism? b)Where are the predominant gaps in the research literature? In answering these questions we reviewed literature published in three rural education journals from 2001-2022 and used a systematic approach to the data collection, extraction, and analysis. The overall findings about race yielded four themes: Race as– descriptor, located within a racial hierarchy, socially constructed, and an element …


Anti-Queer Policy & Rural Schools: A Framework To Analyze Anti-Queer Policy Implementation In Rural Schools, Clint Whitten, Courtney Thomas Apr 2023

Anti-Queer Policy & Rural Schools: A Framework To Analyze Anti-Queer Policy Implementation In Rural Schools, Clint Whitten, Courtney Thomas

The Rural Educator

No abstract provided.


Understanding Rural Communities: Crafting Local Inquiries As Praxis For Pre-Service Ela Students In Teaching Composition, Cathie English Apr 2023

Understanding Rural Communities: Crafting Local Inquiries As Praxis For Pre-Service Ela Students In Teaching Composition, Cathie English

The Rural Educator

This study focused upon a sequence of three inquiry assignments with pre-service teachers (PSTs) in English language arts in an advanced composition and theory methods course. Place conscious and critical literacy scholars argue for a deeper understanding of rural lifeways and note the deficit or lesser than assumptions associated with rural communities and the need to develop a critical rural literacy to address the specific needs of rural educators as well as address the long-standing stereotypes. This study’s purpose was to determine if these inquiry tools can be used to teach PSTs a critical literacy that can be applied in …


Co-Existing With Covid-19: Language Teacher Resiliency In Rural Schools, Kelly Moser, Tianlan Wei Apr 2023

Co-Existing With Covid-19: Language Teacher Resiliency In Rural Schools, Kelly Moser, Tianlan Wei

The Rural Educator

Language educators were unprepared for emergency remote language teaching (ERLT) due to lack of training in online pedagogy and negative perceptions of online instruction, and the rural community of language educators have been challenged in unique ways. Using the intersections of content (language teaching), space (rurality), and context (pandemic) as the theoretical framework, this comparative survey study aimed to investigate rural Mississippi language teachers’ beliefs and practices to ERLT in comparison to their counterparts nationwide. Two independent samples, one consisting of 94 Mississippi language teachers and the other consisting of 255 national K-12 language teachers, responded to our electronic survey …


There’S Land Between Us: Rurality In The Northern Great Plains, Jarrett D. Moore, Louise M. Yoho Apr 2023

There’S Land Between Us: Rurality In The Northern Great Plains, Jarrett D. Moore, Louise M. Yoho

The Rural Educator

While there is a significant body of educational literature addressing the character and needs of rural communities in the Appalachian and southern regions of the US, there is a need for a better understanding of rural communities outside of this region. Existing literature focused on US rurality revolves around four main themes: the rural idyllic, isolation and deficits, rural identity, and community. The voices, experiences, and needs of future teachers of the Northern Great Plains are missing from this dominant narrative and this study begins to address this gap. This qualitative study is based on data collected from 16 semi-structured …


In Their Own Words: Student Mental Health In Rural, Low Socioeconomic High Schools, Jason E. Hughes, Jonathan D. Ulmer, J. Spencer Clark, Brandie Disberger, Gaea Hock, Jason Ellis Apr 2023

In Their Own Words: Student Mental Health In Rural, Low Socioeconomic High Schools, Jason E. Hughes, Jonathan D. Ulmer, J. Spencer Clark, Brandie Disberger, Gaea Hock, Jason Ellis

The Rural Educator

The purpose of this research paper was to highlight the factors students and school staff identify as contributors to mental health issues students attending rural, low socioeconomic high schools experience and the specific mental health issues they witness most. A collective case study was conducted in four rural high schools, two in Kansas and two in West Virginia. Field work at each school involved observations, document collection, and semi-structured focus group interviews with students and school staff. The factors identified as contributors to poor student mental health were pressure, technology, home life, bullying, and stigma. Anxiety, stress, depression, lack of …


The Experiences Of Rural School Attorneys: Implications For School Leaders, Daniel A. Decino, Phillip L. Waalkes, Connor Donohoe Jan 2023

The Experiences Of Rural School Attorneys: Implications For School Leaders, Daniel A. Decino, Phillip L. Waalkes, Connor Donohoe

The Rural Educator

Rural school leaders encounter an array of complex issues that require legal counsel. Student discipline, contract disputes, employee conduct, special education, and a host of other topics require school boards and superintendents to utilize school attorneys. This descriptive phenomenological study explored the daily experiences of ten school attorneys representing multiple school districts in rural areas. Three salient themes emerged (a) the work of a school attorney, (b) relationships and interactions with school personnel, and (c) insights for others. Themes provide a comprehensive picture regarding school attorneys’ roles, responsibilities, and engagements with school personnel within rural schools. Implications, including the importance …


Exploring Collaborative Professionalism As A Means Of Virtually Supporting Rural Teachers, Martha Inouye, Ana K. Houseal, Clare Gunshenan, Angus Mcreynolds, Mark Perkins Jan 2023

Exploring Collaborative Professionalism As A Means Of Virtually Supporting Rural Teachers, Martha Inouye, Ana K. Houseal, Clare Gunshenan, Angus Mcreynolds, Mark Perkins

The Rural Educator

Thirty percent of US teachers work in rural schools where geographic isolation and lack of peers can make it difficult for them to engage in collaborative professional relationships with colleagues. Facilitated professional development can be used as a way to build these networks. Using a situative perspective in which teachers are viewed as experts and agents in their own professional learning and by capitalizing on the rapid increase in understanding and use of video conferencing in 2021, the research team developed an open-enrollment, co-designed series of workshops for rural teachers in the intermountain West. The team was interested in how …


Rural Inclusive Education For Students With Disabilities In The United States: A Narrative Review Of Research, Katie Mae Mccabe, Andrea L. Ruppar Jan 2023

Rural Inclusive Education For Students With Disabilities In The United States: A Narrative Review Of Research, Katie Mae Mccabe, Andrea L. Ruppar

The Rural Educator

Despite a long history of overrepresentation in segregated settings (Brock, 2018), students with disabilities who require extensive supports are more likely to receive inclusive placements in rural schools. In this paper, we present findings from a narrative literature analysis of inclusive education for students with disabilities in rural schools located in the United States. Our search yielded 24 articles, published between 2002 and 2019, which reveal three storylines: (a) perceptions about inclusive education in rural schools and communities, (b) inclusive placements are common for students with disabilities, and (c) access to resources is a factor for rural schools to provide …


Challenges Of The Community Eligibility Provision Of The National School Lunch Program: A Conversation About The Poverty Indicators In Education Working Groups, Tara Thomas, Devon Brenner Jan 2023

Challenges Of The Community Eligibility Provision Of The National School Lunch Program: A Conversation About The Poverty Indicators In Education Working Groups, Tara Thomas, Devon Brenner

The Rural Educator

No abstract provided.