Northwest Regional Comprehensive Center
NWRCC
SEA Rapid Response
Support For Small Rural Schools/Districts
The documents and Web sites in this section are the result of a search of policy and practices in state educational agencies and a review of documents produced by organizations and agencies that research and report on issues relevant to rural schools. The search was further limited to issues pertaining to rural schools/districts and implementing No Child Left Behind.
Challenges and opportunities of NCLB for small, rural, and isolated schools.
Barton, R. (2003). Portland, OR: Northwest Regional Educational Laboratory.
Complying with the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB) has presented special problems for small, rural, and isolated schools. This document presents results of surveys and interviews of county and district superintendents, principals, teachers, trustees, and curriculum directors of small, rural, and isolated schools in Alaska, Idaho, Montana, Oregon, and Washington. The surveys were intended to examine some of the creative solutions to fulfilling NCLB requirements and some of the impediments. What emerges from the research is a picture of small and rural schools struggling with a lack of resources, but determined to meet the needs of students as well as all the requirements of NCLB. The report looks first at the key challenges these schools face, such as declining enrollments and geographical isolation. It next discusses impediments and innovations, focusing on adequate yearly progress, quality teacher recruitment and training, and higher qualifications and appropriate roles of paraprofessionals. It concludes with other issues and opportunities specific to small, rural, and isolated schools. (abstract from the ERIC database)[PDF]
The rural bellwether: A survey of state roles in maintaining rural schools.
Christie, K. (2001). Phi Delta Kappan 82, No. 6: 425-427. Bloomington, IN: Phi Delta Kappan.
This article provides a concise overview of the issues and challenges many states face with rural education, as well as examples of how many states are addressing the problem. (abstract from ECS)[DOC]
No Child Left Behind Act: Additional assistance and research on effective strategies would help small rural districts.
Government Accountability Office. (2004).
This report describes: key challenges rural states and districts face; strategies rural districts have developed; expenditures and resources related to rural district compliance; and guidance and assistance from the Department of Education. Researchers conducted a nationally representative survey of rural and nonrural school districts and interviewed Education officials and officials in rural states and school districts. (Report No. GAO 04-909). Washington D. C.: General Accounting Office. (abstract from the ERIC database)[PDF]
Rural teacher recruitment and retention practices: A review of the research literature, national survey of rural superintendents, and case studies of programs in Virginia.
Hammer, P. et al. (2005). Charleston, WV: Appalachia Educational Laboratory at Edvantia.
In 2004, Edvantia, Inc. (formerly AEL) and the National Association of State Boards of Education (NASBE) initiated an effort to identify successful strategies for recruiting and retaining highly qualified teachers in rural areas. They reviewed non-rural-specific and rural-specific research and practice literature, surveyed rural superintendents across the nation, and conducted case studies of three Virginia programs that support teacher recruitment and retention. (abstract from the ERIC database)[PDF]
The promise and the power of distance learning in rural education.
Hobbs, V. (2004). Arlington, VA: The Rural School and Community Trust.
This paper focuses on the applicability and potential of two-way interactive television (I-TV) for small and rural K-12 schools as a primary asset in improving educational access and equity and calls for the adoption of enlightened distance learning policies and guidelines at the state and local levels. Appendices include: (1) Characteristics of Major Distance Learning Technologies; (2) Types of Distance Learning Technologies; and (3) a Categorization of State Videoconferencing Policies. (abstract from the author)
High-quality teaching: providing for rural teachers' professional development.
Howley, A., & Howley, C.B. (2004). Charleston, WV: Appalachia Educational Laboratory at Edvantia.
Rural school districts face unique challenges in cultivating a teaching force that possesses subject-matter expertise, a willingness to undertake difficult professional work at the local level, and attentiveness to rural practices and cultures. At the same time, many rural schools harbor significant strengths that districts might draw upon to foster high-quality teaching. This policy brief examines this dynamic and suggests the need for professional development practices that are responsive to rural circumstances. (abstract from policy brief)[PDF]
The devil is in the details: Rural-sensitive best practices for accountability under No Child Left Behind.
Jimerson, L. (2004). Washington, DC: The Rural School and Community Trust.
The report has three sections. The first section is a chart that examines each of the 12 policy areas and describes its significance for rural schools. For each area, the most "rural-sensitive" position has been identified. The second section examines how each of these 12 policy areas is treated in the NCLB plan for 15 of the most "rural" states. The last section summarizes the findings of our investigation, discusses other areas of importance, and offers reflections about NCLB accountability in rural places. (abstract from the ERIC database)[PDF]
Implementing the No Child Left Behind Act: Implications for rural schools and districts.
Reeves, C. (2003). Naperville, IL: North Central Regional Educational Laboratory.
The No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 poses unique challenges for rural schools and districts. Small schools are more likely to be labeled as needing improvement due to the volatility of annual test scores for small student populations. Rural districts are limited in their capacity to provide parents with school choice, and rural districts face greater challenges than their urban or suburban counterparts in attracting and retaining "highly qualified" teachers. The major obstacle facing rural districts is access to resources. Under current funding formulas, many rural districts do not have access to the financial resources that urban and suburban districts have. While these challenges seem daunting, they are not insurmountable. Test scores can be averaged over several years. Supplemental services can be made available through distance learning, community colleges, after-school programs, libraries, or faith-based organizations. Teachers could be offered incentives to work in less attractive locales. Teachers could be recruited among local residents. Schools can form consortia to build distance learning programs and infrastructure. However, rural schools and districts will need federal and state assistance to implement these strategies. The ability of rural schools and districts to comply with federal law will depend, in large part, on the future direction of related federal and state policies. It is essential that policymakers be made aware of the unique challenges faced by rural schools and the importance of developing policies that address those unique challenges. (abstract from the ERIC database)[PDF]
New traditions: Options for rural high school excellence.
Southern Governors' Association. (2004). Washington, DC: Southern Governor's Association.
This report discusses the effect of new demographics on the needs of rural high schools in Southern states and draws on lessons from successful Southern schools with high-minority and/or high-poverty populations. The report presents findings from teams of governor-appointed educators and education policymakers who visited high schools successfully serving high-poverty and/or high-minority student bodies, and provides recommendations for governors who determine their state's educational strategy and momentum. [PDF]
Florida's Institute for Small and Rural Districts (ISRD)
Interim REL Brief: Definitions of Rural: Implications for Educational Policies and Practices. [PDF]
Wisconsin Department of Instruction Rural Initiative
Summary of the Official Proceedings Wisconsin Rural Policy Network Forum [PDF]