Rural schools serve nearly 1 in 5 students in the United States, making the quality of these schools a key priority. We rounded up resources from across the Regional Educational Laboratory (REL) network to help educators and policymakers tackle the issues that face rural schools and districts, with a focus on college and career readiness, access and attainment, and teacher preparation and development.
College and career readiness
- REL Midwest supports career readiness efforts in rural districts in Minnesota and across the Midwest through the Midwest Career Readiness Research Alliance. Other RELs also have research alliances focused on rural issues, including REL Appalachia, REL Central, and REL West.
- If you're interested in the differences in postsecondary attainment between rural and nonrural students, see the results of REL Midwest's study that looked at both Midwestern students and national trends.
- In case you missed it, REL Midwest hosted a webinar in December 2017 on supporting STEM opportunities in rural areas.
- To learn more about best practices and factors that contribute to success as rural students plan for their futures, see REL Midwest's documentary on career readiness efforts in rural communities across Minnesota. REL Midwest and the Midwest Career Readiness Research Alliance developed the program through a collaboration with Twin Cities Public Television, the Minnesota Rural Education Association, and other rural organizations.
Access and attainment
- To explore evidence-based practices for career counseling in rural settings, see REL Southeast's video training and infographic on the topic, both released last year.
- In case you missed it, check out REL Midwest's February 2018 blog post on creating opportunities for students in rural areas.
- This REL Northwest brief summarizes the key findings from a 2016 study on federal School Improvement Grant implementation in rural Northwestern schools.
- Interested in educator networks in rural areas? See REL Northwest's webinar on the promises and challenges of educator networks in improving outcomes for rural students.
- REL Appalachia's 2018 blog post describes how they are leveraging the rural context to build family engagement in Kentucky.
Teacher preparation and development
- If you're interested in preparing educators to teach in rural schools, read this REL Central report on nine teacher preparation programs and how they prepare graduates for rural settings.
- REL Southwest's former Oklahoma Rural Schools Research Alliance released several resources in 2017 on recruiting, developing, and retaining rural teachers, including an infographic on professional development opportunities for rural and nonrural teachers in the state, a research report on indicators of successful teacher recruitment and retention, and a research report on opportunities for teacher professional development.
- REL Central has a report coming out this spring on rural teacher workforce dynamics and factors related to teacher mobility and attrition. Stay tuned for the results!
Ask A REL
Did you know that REL Midwest offers a free reference desk service for education research questions? Here are some questions that we and other RELs have received related to rural education and the references we provided.
- What does the research say about effective strategies for recruiting and retaining principals in high-poverty, high-minority, and rural areas?
- What are the unique financial needs of rural school districts, and what strategies or approaches do rural school districts use to address those needs?
- What are the effects of declining enrollment in rural schools on school services, particularly those with the majority of students eligible for free or reduced-price lunch (FRPL)? To what extent are there strategies to address the impacts?
- What are successful strategies for family engagement in rural schools?
- What does the research say about increasing teacher recruitment and retention in rural areas?
