Education Commons^™

Navigating New Frontiers: A Narrative Of Cte Administrators Leading Rural Innovation, Claire Bass

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Public school districts play a pivotal role in the well-being of rural communities. To help mitigate the impact of labor market trends, societal shifts, and the skilled labor shortage, rural schools are in the initial stages of expanding innovative career pathways. As such, career and technical education (CTE) administrators serve their rural communities by facilitating robust career pathways to support local labor markets. Due to a skilled labor shortage, a declining labor force participation rate, and a rapidly evolving labor market, there is a lack of qualified and certified personnel to fill industry jobs (Davis et al., 2022). School districts …

An Evaluation Of Rural Access To Education, Caroline Ackerman, Kera B. Ackerman

Kentucky Teacher Education Journal: The Journal of the Teacher Education Division of the Kentucky Council for Exceptional Children

In Kentucky, educators serve over 100,000 students who qualify for special education services under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). Given Kentucky's topography, and the designation of 86 of the Commonwealth's 120 counties as rural, it's essential to understand how the socioeconomic and geographic qualities of the state impact the students being served. Previous research has indicated that nearly a quarter of children in Kentucky live in poverty, with the highest rates existing in rural Eastern Kentucky counties. This statistic, compacted with the knowledge that high-need children in poverty are more likely than their peers to have a disability …

A Geographical Lens On Rural Teacher Induction And Retention, Quinn A. Abbate

Journal of Graduate Education Research

Induction is a critical phase for early career teachers (ECTs) because it is where they develop their sense of professional identity and often decide whether or not to stay in the profession. Substantial research has reported high rates of rural teacher retention during induction (e.g., Ingersoll & Strong, 2011), but few researchers have examined this pattern through a geographical lens. Rural education theorists Gruenewald (2003) and Reid et al. (2010) suggest that a geographical lens is a useful way to understand the complexities of place and space—particularly rural space. Rooted in their theories, the present study aimed to address the …

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 …

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

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

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. …

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

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 …

The Impact Of Opioids On Students And Schools In Appalachian And Non-Appalachian Ohio: Educational Leader Perspectives On The Crisis, Charles L. Lowery, Chetanath Gautam

Journal of Research Initiatives

Over the last several decades, the opioid crisis has had an increasing impact on the educational environment of schools. The role that principals and superintendents have in leading schools that have been affected by opioids has been mostly overlooked in the research. The present study was conducted in Ohio, a state with areas that have some of the highest death rates due to opioid-related incidents in the nation. Purpose: This study collected data on the perspectives and perceptions of school leaders in Ohio to better understand how principals and superintendents frame their decisions regarding the opioid crisis. Design: We analyze …

Book Review Rural Education In America: What Works For Our Students, Teachers, And Communities, Sunshine L. Brosi, Marilyn M. Cuch, Spencer Spotted Elk, Julie Stevens, Gustavo A. Ovando-Montejo

Journal on Empowering Teaching Excellence

Access the online Pressbooks version of this article here.

Book review of Marietta, G. & S. Marietta. (2020). Rural Education in America, What works for our students, teachers, and communities, Harvard Education Press. Statewide faculty teaching in rural Utah review this book and focus on actions to meet the specific needs of their demographic of rural students in rural communities. The reviewer’s reflections on the book developed from a Spring 2022 Empowering Teaching Excellence Learning Circle led by the primary author.

Art And Interdisciplinary Opportunities For Literacy Instruction: A Qualitative Study To Examine Educator Perceptions In The Rural Setting, Courtney Collins

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this qualitative phenomenological study was to examine educator perceptions of teaching art and implementing literacy and interdisciplinary strategies in rural northeast Tennessee school districts. This study explored interdisciplinary connections and opportunities to expand access to literacy acquisition in the art room. Participants included twelve educators who served as art instructors, literacy specialists, and district supervisors in rural public-school systems in Tennessee's First Congressional District. Data were collected through virtual interviews using a semi-structured format. To qualify for the study participants held positions as elementary or secondary art teachers, literacy specialists, or district supervisors in rural northeast Tennessee …

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

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 …

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

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 …

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, …

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.

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.

Viewing Rural, Rurality, And Ruralities As Social Constructs: An Author Interview And Book Review Of Teaching English In Rural Communities, Jordan Parker

The Montana English Journal

"Teaching English in Rural Communities: Toward a Critical Rural English Pedagogy" by Robert Petrone and Allison Wynhoff Olsen provides insights and practical strategies for teachers working in rural areas, where they often face unique challenges such as limited resources and cultural differences. This book provides a lens of criticality through the critiques and celebrations of rural living. This article opens with reviews of Critical Rural English Pedagogy and the chapters in the book. After the review, there are highlights of the exclusive interview with Petrone and Wynhoff Olsen as they relate their personal experiences and reflections on teaching in rural …

The Rural Post-Graduation Plan Development Model: Advancing Student College Choice By Centering Rural Communities, Steve Jenks

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

College choice models have been used since the 1980s to try and explain the processes and influences high school students use to decide if and which college to attend after graduation. These models focused solely on college attendance and lacked attention to the nuanced needs and resources found in rural communities. In this three-paper dissertation, a new, rural-centric model is proposed, tested, critiqued, and revised. The first paper proposes a new conceptual model of Rural Post-Graduation Plan Development using a critique and synthesis of prior college choice models, Critical Rural Theory, Funds of Knowledge, and socio-ecological models. The second paper …

Rural Voices: A Photographic Journey Of The Intersection Of Place And Reading Identity In Rural Adolescents, Gena Brown

Doctor of Education in Secondary and Middle Grades Education Dissertations

Researchers have long been documenting the decline in reading habits of Americans, particularly adolescents and young adults. Reading for pleasure has been declining for the last three decades. Young people claim that reading is boring and irrelevant to their fast-paced, largely digital lives. In the past two decades, the decline of reading has captured wide attention, but most of that attention has been focused on urban and suburban settings. A gap exists in the research when it comes to rural students and their reading habits. Using photo elicitation, I gained an understanding of reading identity as it relates to rural …

Impact Of The Pandemic On Computer Science Education, Dwight Miller, Guy Trainin

Research and Evaluation in Education, Technology, Art, and Design

This poster examines the impacts of the Covid-19 pandemic on computer science education in Nebraska. Data collected by Code.org on student and teacher engagement in CS education in Nebraska public and private schools helps paint a picture of the changing landscape.We reveal a significant decrease in rural student participation since the 2019-20 school year, a minimal increase in the number of teachers teaching with Code.org, and a significant drop in participation of girls at the secondary level. By uncovering these trends in engagement, we hope to inform and inspire educators and administrators to take action.

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 …

Thinking About Teaching: A Rural Social Studies Teacher's Path To Strive For Excellence, Dana F. Serure

Excelsior: Leadership in Teaching and Learning

Thinking About Teaching: A rural social studies teacher's path to strive for excellence by Casey Jakubowski (2020) offers insights about the macros and micros of teaching. The book is geared toward educators and teacher candidates who seek to know more about the teaching profession. The book comprises four parts, including: 1) an introduction of practice which details twenty brief chapters of hot education topics, 2) curriculum and instruction, 3) rural education, and 4) a conclusion that pinpoints recommendations about teaching based on his experience that spans twenty years in the education field. Throughout the book Jakubowski expresses his professional journey …

Rural Education In Peru: A Study Of Its Performance, Physical And Digital Infrastructure, Gender, Linguistic, And Social And Cultural Development, Mohammed Forero Bucheli

Master of Liberal Studies Theses

Rural and indigenous education in Peru significantly differs from its urban counterparts. The physical and digital infrastructure, gender-based education, linguistic neglect, and sociocultural discrimination that rural and indigenous communities’ education receive profoundly affect performance. This thesis aims to showcase these characteristics through case studies, comparing different government and community projects to understand their development in these areas. These cases explore different aspects of the educational situation of the Huallatiri, San Antonio de Cusicancha, and Quispicanchi communities in the Southern Peruvian Andes. Through these analyses, this study portrays the intersectional characteristics of educational development in rural and indigenous communities and how …

Rural Critical Policy Analysis: A Framework For Examining Policy Through A Rural Lens, Devon Brenner

The Rural Educator

No abstract provided.

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 …

Calidad, Eficacia, Yeny Liliana Casas Méndez, Omar Fabián Rivera Ruíz, Martha Lidia Barreto Moreno, David Leonardo Castro Muñoz, Diana Marcela Contento Sarmiento

Educación

Las políticas educativas deben estar enfocadas al mejoramiento de la calidad de la educación, en los capítulos del presente libro se exponen algunas posturas relacionadas con la calidad educativa, la eficacia escolar y la educación rural.

Abstracto:

Las políticas educativas deben estar enfocadas a mejorar la calidad de la educación, en los capítulos de este libro se exponen algunas posiciones relacionadas con la calidad educativa, la eficacia escolar y la educación rural.

Changes In Obstacles To Learning During The Covid-19 Pandemic For University Students And Recommended Solutions, Becky Williams, Sunshine L. Brosi

Journal on Empowering Teaching Excellence

Access the online Pressbooks version of this article here.

The COVID-19 pandemic caused disruptions to student learning from K–12 to universities and continues to manifest negative effects on students. To better understand the challenges our students face and how those obstacles have changed since the COVID-19 pandemic began, we surveyed our undergraduate ecology students who ranked obstacles to learning they experience in technology, learning environment, and economic security. The majority of respondents report conditions have worsened since the onset of the pandemic. Surveys identified the largest challenges on average were being unfamiliar with technology, using a smartphone or tablet for …