Rural communities need better state education policies

2021 ◽  
Vol 103 (4) ◽  
pp. 8-13
Author(s):  
David Arsen ◽  
Tanner Delpier ◽  
Annie Gensterblum ◽  
Rebecca Jacobsen ◽  
Alexandra Stamm
Keyword(s):  
Rural Communities ◽  
School Districts ◽  
Rural Areas ◽  
Limited Attention ◽  
Michigan State University ◽  
State University ◽  
Education Policies ◽  
Policy Makers ◽  
State Education ◽  
State Programs

The specific needs of rural schools and communities have received limited attention from state policy makers, and many state programs have only added to the challenges that school districts in rural areas face. Michigan State University researchers surveyed and interviewed rural superintendents in Michigan to learn more about their situations. Superintendents identified teacher recruitment and retention, the need for mental health services, limited broadband access, and insufficient funding as their most pressing challenges. The researchers note that addressing these challenges will require state leaders to pay specific attention to rural needs and develop rural-conscious education policies.

The essence of ESSA: More control at the district level?

2019 ◽  
Vol 101 (2) ◽  
pp. 14-17 ◽  
Author(s):  
Adam Kirk Edgerton
Keyword(s):  
English Language Learners ◽  
School Districts ◽  
Students With Disabilities ◽  
Language Learners ◽  
English Language ◽  
National Database ◽  
Education Policies ◽  
Targeted Interventions ◽  
State Education ◽  
Every Student Succeeds Act

Using a national database of state education policies related to the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA), as well as data from surveys, interviews, and site visits, Adam Edgerton describes how ESSA has shifted relationships among state education agencies (SEAs) and school districts. Some states have not changed their policies much despite the flexibility afforded under the law, although some states have adjusted what measures are included in their accountability systems. States also expressed concern about how to meet requirements for English language learners and students with disabilities. Overall, SEAs are designing more targeted interventions for underperforming districts, and they are focusing on providing supports rather than punishments. But in this era of increased flexibility, it is possible for states to move from one extreme — punitive test-based accountability — to another — laissez-faire leadership.

scholarly journals Critical Factors for the Success of Rural Water Supply Services in Brazil

Water ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 11 (10) ◽  
pp. 2180
Author(s):  
Anna V. M. Machado ◽  
João A. N. dos Santos ◽  
Norbertho da S. Quindeler ◽  
Lucas M. C. Alves
Keyword(s):  
Rural Communities ◽  
Water Supply ◽  
Rural Areas ◽  
Nominal Group Technique ◽  
Nominal Group ◽  
Limited Attention ◽  
Water Quality Control ◽  
Rural Water Supply ◽  
Rural Water ◽  
Water Supply Services

The universalization of drinking water in rural communities poses a great challenge to developing countries, where rural areas often receive poor water service coverage and limited attention from authorities. This scenario is the current reality in Brazil. The community management model of rural water services has proven to be a noteworthy approach to ensure the continuity of water supply where private and public entities do not operate. However, its sustainability depends on several aspects. The authors of the current paper performed a thorough review of relevant publications in the rural sanitation field of study using the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews (PRISMA) methodology, which enabled the creation of a list of essential factors capable to ensure the sustainability of Rural Water Supply Services (RWSS). Using the Nominal Group Technique with a selection of participants from a national conference held in Brazil in 2015, specialists hierarchized the factors, demonstrating their perception of the most important aspects necessary in RWSS throughout Brazil. Consequently, the authors noticed the necessity of a strong enabling environment, which recognizes small communities and their local services. Water quality control, post-construction support and the existence of a financial scheme were also pointed out as important aspects to ensure RWSS’s sustainability.

scholarly journals Opioid mortality in rural communities

2019 ◽  
Vol 7 (31) ◽  
pp. 59-62
Author(s):  
Jonathan Kopel
Keyword(s):  
Rural Communities ◽  
Rural Areas ◽  
Significant Risk ◽  
Opioid Therapy ◽  
Mortality Data ◽  
Opioid Overdose ◽  
Opioid Use ◽  
Policy Makers ◽  
Evidenced Based ◽  
Related Mortality

Opioid mortality has become a significant medical and economic burden in the UnitedStates, accounting for over 66.3% of drug-related overdoses and $78 billion dollars in healthcare costs. The current US “opioid crisis” has continued to grow with an estimated 2.5 millionpatients being diagnosed with opioid use disorders in 2016. In response, policy makers andgovernment agencies have initiated several programs to mitigate the adverse effects of opioidsthrough expanding access and delivery of evidenced-based treatment and rehabilitationprograms. Rural communities remain significant risk factors for opioid overdose and mortalityin areas lacking access to opioid therapy. Despite measures to provide access to rehabilitationand medical therapy, the opioid-related mortality rate in rural areas has increased significantlydue to greater opioid prescriptions in these areas, an out-migration of young adults, greaterrural social and kinship network connections, and economic stressors. However, limitedopioid-related mortality data in rural regions, such as West Texas, impede further analysisand investigation into effective programs for preventing and treating opioid overdoses in thesecommunities.

scholarly journals Envisioning the Rural Practicum

2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (1) ◽  
pp. 103-118
Author(s):  
Tena Versland ◽  
Kathryn Will ◽  
Nicholas Lux ◽  
James Hicks
Keyword(s):  
Preservice Teachers ◽  
Clinical Practice ◽  
Rural Communities ◽  
Teacher Perceptions ◽  
Rural Areas ◽  
Financial Incentives ◽  
Community Based Participatory Research ◽  
Rural School ◽  
State University ◽  
Recruitment And Retention

Recruitment and retention of teachers in rural areas continue to dominate educational narratives across the country. School districts, state agencies, and university schools of education have instituted strategies including financial incentives, alternative standards and licensure criteria, and grow-your-own programs that target underemployed locals and paraprofessionals for accelerated licensure. While each strategy may enjoy situational success, none is a panacea for all circumstances. However, there is growing interest in the development of university and school district partnerships in creating innovative solutions to rural recruitment and retention issues. This study investigates the efficacy of a partnership between several small rural districts and a state university partnering to create and test a contextualized clinical practice model. The Montana State University rural practicum placed 13 preservice teachers in a week-long, immersive clinical practice in rural, remote schools in Montana, for them to authentically experience the rural context and for researchers to determine if such an experience might positively affect recruitment and retention efforts. The study used a community-based participatory research method to ensure equal participation of both university and rural school partners in co-creating the experience and in collecting and analyzing data. Results suggest that the rural practicum experience positively affected preservice teacher perceptions of rural teaching and rural communities. Rural school leaders and university personnel also agreed that the model held promise for recruiting and retaining teachers in rural areas.

scholarly journals Pattern and Trend of Substance Abuse in Eastern Rural Iran: A Household Survey in a Rural Community

2013 ◽  
Vol 2013 ◽  
pp. 1-6 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hasan Ziaaddini ◽  
Tayebeh Ziaaddini ◽  
Nouzar Nakhaee
Keyword(s):  
Substance Abuse ◽  
Rural Communities ◽  
Rural Community ◽  
Rural Areas ◽  
Preventive Measures ◽  
Household Survey ◽  
Daily Basis ◽  
Policy Makers ◽  
Ease Of Access ◽  
Design And Methods

Introduction and Aim. Substance abuse imposes hazards on human health in all biopsychosocial aspects. Limited studies exist on epidemiology of substance abuse and its trend in rural areas. The present study aimed to compare substance abuse in one of the rural areas of southeast Iran, in a 12-year period (2000 and 2012).Design and Methods. In a household survey conducted in 2012, in Dashtkhak/Kerman, 1200 individuals above 12 years of age completed a questionnaire to determine their frequency of substance abuse. The questionnaire included the following three areas: demographic characteristics, frequency of substance abuse and ease of access to various drugs.Results. Among 900 completed questionnaires, majority of the participants (61.8%) were below 30 years of age and among them 54.4% were male. Cigarette (17.0%), opium (15.7%) and opium residue (9.0%) were the most frequent substances abused on a daily basis. Based on the participant’s opinion, we conclude that the ease of access to cigarette, waterpipe and opium contributed to their increase in consumption compared with earlier years.Discussion and Conclusion. The steady rise in substance abuse in rural communities demands immediate attention and emergency preventive measures from policy makers.

scholarly journals Space and Place in Rural Program Implementation

2019 ◽  
Vol 40 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Ann Allen ◽  
J. Kessa Roberts
Keyword(s):  
School Districts ◽  
Program Implementation ◽  
Space And Place ◽  
Early College ◽  
Small School ◽  
Small School Districts ◽  
Policy Makers ◽  
Place And Space ◽  
State Programs ◽  
Implementation Plans

Employing concepts of place and space, we consider the implementation of Early College initiatives in two small school districts in Ohio, situated in very different regions of the state. One is a rural district near the foothills of Appalachia, and the other is a small town district on the shores of Lake Erie. The paper examines data collected through a state-wide evaluation project. Our analysis suggests that where a school is located matters to the kinds of resources, opportunities and constrains it has for implementing state programs. Resources like transportation, access to college partners, and even proximity to other school districts made important differences to how these school districts implemented the Early College program. Given the variable conditions of school districts in Ohio and other states with a large number of rural and small city school districts, state policy makers should consider flexible implementation plans and variable levels of support.

scholarly journals Problems and prospects of human potential development in rural areas of Ukraine

2020 ◽  
pp. 76-82
Author(s):  
Volodymyr Ivanyshyn ◽  
Oksana Bialkovska
Keyword(s):  
Rural Communities ◽  
Personal Growth ◽  
Rural Areas ◽  
Local Governments ◽  
Social Innovation ◽  
Public Organizations ◽  
Human Potential ◽  
Rural Residents ◽  
Charitable Foundations ◽  
State Programs

The subject of the research is theoretical and practical aspects of the formation, development and growth of human potential in rural areas of Ukraine. The purpose of the work is to identify the problems of forming the human potential of rural areas of the country and substantiate strategic guidelines and promising areas and means of solving them to ensure its growth and sustainable development. Methodological basis of the article is the use of modern theoretical provisions of the economy of the national economy, rural territories, the reproduction of human potential; General scientific and special methods of knowledge: demographic, statistical-economic, economic-mathematical, graphic. Results of work. It is determined that the human potential of rural areas of Ukraine is formed by demographic factors, employment and employment, income level, quality and social and environmental conditions of life. However, it is the narrowed natural reproduction, high unemployment and low incomes of rural residents that cause its deterioration and degradation. It is found that these and other problems should be solved by implementing state programs to support rural fertility, developing alternative activities and increasing employment, social and environmental development of rural areas. The field of application of results. The conclusions and suggestions of the article can be used by local governments, rural communities, public organizations, charitable foundations in solving problems of human development in rural areas, educational and scientific institutions in educational and scientific activities. Conclusions. Financial sources for the implementation of proposals can be monetary and other resources of agricultural enterprises, rural residents, rural communities, targeted state programs, public organizations and charitable foundations. Public-private partnership, social responsibility, social innovation, information and digital technologies should be used as tools for achieving these goals. When determining priorities for implementing these measures in practice, it is necessary to take into account the specifics of each locality, the region where they are located, as well as the decisions of rural communities. This will contribute to the revival of rural areas, increase the prestige of rural life, preserve the rural way of life, expand the reproduction of human capital and personal growth of human potential.

Civic Engagement in Education: Insights from California's Local Control Funding Formula

2020 ◽  
Vol 15 (4) ◽  
pp. 761-774
Author(s):  
Julie A. Marsh ◽  
Tasminda K. Dhaliwal ◽  
Michelle Hall ◽  
Morgan S. Polikoff
Keyword(s):  
Local Control ◽  
Low Income ◽  
English Learners ◽  
Education Policies ◽  
Policy Makers ◽  
Funding Formula ◽  
The Public ◽  
Target Populations ◽  
State Education ◽  
Local Control Funding Formula

In this policy brief, we use the case of California's Local Control Funding Formula (LCFF) to provide policy makers and educators guidance on how to involve the public in goal setting and resource distribution decisions. We provide clarity around who is and is not participating, why, and what broader lessons we can draw for implementing federal and state education policies mandating public engagement. Our findings indicate tremendous room for improvement. LCFF's target populations (e.g., low-income, English learners) are not more likely to be aware of or participate in decisions than nontargeted groups, which suggests weak accountability for the use of public funds by the policy's target populations. Although LCFF has defined a broad set of stakeholders, only a narrow segment of the public (i.e., individuals with stronger ties to and positive views of schools) is aware of and engaging with the policy. Finally, we find a substantial gap between actual participation in LCFF and interest in participation, which may relate to a lack of self-efficacy, time, trust, perceived appropriateness, and information. As states and districts respond to mandates for engagement, these results suggest the need for greater investments in: (1) communication, (2) targeting a range of stakeholders, and (3) capacity building.

The Problems and Thinking of Planning and Construction in Rural Communities under New Urbanization

2014 ◽  
Vol 584-586 ◽  
pp. 399-402
Author(s):  
Cheng Bo Zheng
Keyword(s):  
Rural Communities ◽  
Rural Areas ◽  
Rapid Development ◽  
Strong Support ◽  
Small Towns ◽  
Policy Makers ◽  
The Face ◽  
Rural Work ◽  
Planning And Construction ◽  
New Urbanization

Promoting new urbanization is urban and rural development to solve the "three rural" issue, the only way to achieve modernization in rural areas, is an important way to solve the "three rural" issue is to promote balanced regional development of strong support, with the economic and social rapid development, increasing people's living standards, housing, environmental requirements are also increasing, but the face of the land uncontrolled urbanization serious regional environmental quality of urban decline, ecological damage is more common, and many other problems. Described the outstanding issues of community planning and construction of small towns and rural work under the new urbanization exist, and propose relevant measures for policy makers, builders reference.

scholarly journals Transition and Participation of Rural Students in Higher Education: Barriers and Opportunities

2019 ◽  
Vol 1 (2) ◽  
pp. p94
Author(s):  
Benard O Nyatuka
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Rural Communities ◽  
Rural Areas ◽  
Educational Aspirations ◽  
Rural Students ◽  
Policy Makers ◽  
Body Of Knowledge ◽  
Rural Economies ◽  
Barriers And Opportunities ◽  
Higher Institutions

There is an accumulating body of knowledge that points to the fact that rurality is a crucial demographic to be considered in the identification of students with respect to access to and retention in the higher institutions of learning. Research shows that rural economies, for instance, help shape students’ career aspirations and labour options in these institutions. Among others, some students may find it difficult to make a decision on whether to go back to their hometowns instead of pursuing their dreams elsewhere in the community once they graduate from the higher institutions of learning. Students from rural areas are generally perceived to have low educational aspirations and achievement. Indeed, most of the studies concerning rural students tend to be tilted towards their educational and career choices. Interestingly, despite policy makers across the various sectors of the economy increasingly paying attention to the rural population, little focus has been directed towards transition, experiences and or participation of students from the rural communities in higher education. Against this background, this theoretical paper explores the barriers as well as opportunities regarding transition and participation of rural students, with a view to enhancing provision of meaningful higher education, including realization of the envisaged goals of this cycle of learning.

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