A Rural School’s Adaptations, Improvements, and Innovations During the COVID-19 Pandemic

2021 ◽  
pp. 155545892110581
Author(s):  
Kristen C. Wilcox
Keyword(s):  
Rural Schools ◽  
Educational Leaders ◽  
Rural School ◽  
Research Practice ◽  
High Poverty ◽  
Improvement Science ◽  
School Based ◽  
Improvement Effort ◽  
Improvement Team

COVID-19 prompted unprecedented disruptions to schools with challenges particularly severe for high-poverty remote rural schools. This case study recounts the story of a rural school that had participated in a research–practice partnership (RPP) multi-year improvement effort prior to the pandemic and documents the ways the RPP and the school-based improvement team worked to navigate pandemic-related disruptions. This case study provides educational leaders with insights into ways to surmount challenges and innovate especially during times of significant disruption and provides prompts to consider with regard to the use of RPP support and improvement science-based processes and tools.

scholarly journals Activism in Practice: The Influence of a Rural School Leader’s Beliefs and Practices in Disrupting Historical Patterns of Underachievement in Traditionally Marginalized Students

2020 ◽  
Vol 5 (2) ◽  
pp. 33-42
Author(s):  
Kristina A. Hesbol ◽  
Jennifer Sparkman Bartee ◽  
Fayaz Amiri
Keyword(s):  
Learning Outcomes ◽  
Culturally Responsive ◽  
Comparative Method ◽  
Research Question ◽  
Educational Leaders ◽  
The United States ◽  
Rural School ◽  
High Poverty ◽  
Marginalized Students ◽  
Beliefs And Practices

Despite the fact that rural communities across the United States are rapidly diversifying (Fusarelli & Militello, 2012), little research has examined the beliefs and practices of successful rural educational leaders, specifically in high poverty schools and districts where traditionally marginalized students demonstrate improving learning outcomes. The purpose of this study was to examine the beliefs and practices of a rural educational leader whose school or district met established study criteria for a high poverty, high performing school, in which traditionally marginalized students demonstrate increasingly productive learning outcomes. Interviews with the leader were conducted, and the data were coded and analyzed using a constant comparative method (Lincoln & Guba, 1985).The following research question guided the study:What impact do the beliefs and practices of a rural school district leader have on the learning outcomes of traditionally marginalized students in the Rocky Mountain West?The findings from this study contribute to the paucity of research on culturally responsive rural superintendent-principals. Identifying the rural leader’s beliefs and practices provides support for educational leaders who serve in that uniquely rural dual role, about which very little has been written. It informs leadership preparation programs, graduate students, researchers, and policy makers about the need for nuanced culturally responsive training for rural educational leaders.

scholarly journals Teachers’ Beliefs about Poverty and the Impact on Learning Disabilities Identification in a Poor, Rural School District

2018 ◽  
Vol 35 (3) ◽  
Author(s):  
Renee Chandler
Keyword(s):  
School District ◽  
School Improvement ◽  
Rural School ◽  
Rural Setting ◽  
High Poverty ◽  
Rural School District ◽  
Discrepancy Model ◽  
Teachers Beliefs ◽  
The Impact

This qualitative case study examined a rural school district where many of the students live in poverty. The purpose of the study was to develop a deeper understanding of the learning disability (LD) identification process as implemented in a high-poverty rural setting. Analysis of the data revealed the prevalence of some stereotypical beliefs regarding poverty. In addition, the findings revealed use of a traditional, Intelligence Quotient (IQ)-Achievement discrepancy model rather than Response to Intervention (RTI). Furthermore, participants conveyed that their deliberations do not typically include the legally required consideration that other factors (such as poverty) may be the primary reason that the student is struggling. Recommendations include providing educational activities to challenge stereotypical beliefs about people living in poverty, considering socioeconomic reform in discussions about school improvement, supporting teachers in their efforts to meet the needs of all students in their classrooms, and implementing assessment methods designed to help students receive the assistance needed as early as possible.  

Cloud Computing for Rural and Isolated Schools

2018 ◽  
pp. 376-394
Author(s):  
María José Rodríguez Malmierca
Keyword(s):  
Cloud Computing ◽  
Rural Schools ◽  
Rural School ◽  
Pilot Experience ◽  
School Network ◽  
Small Rural School

A pilot experience of cloud computing use in a small rural school network in Spain by Galicia Supercomputing Center, financed by HP Labs in 2010, gave way to a promising exploration of the use of this technology to benefit European isolated and rural schools learning and networking possibilities. This case study will describe its origin, organizations involved, settings, methodologies and technological components used, impact on students, teachers and families, as well as challenges faced and proposed solutions.

Becoming the drivers of change: continuous improvement in a rural research–practice partnership

2020 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Parker Morse Andreoli ◽  
Hans W. Klar
Keyword(s):  
School Improvement ◽  
School Leadership ◽  
Continuous Improvement ◽  
Teaching And Learning ◽  
Leadership Team ◽  
Research Practice ◽  
High Poverty ◽  
Improvement Science ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Increased Risk

PurposeThe purpose of this study is to examine how a school leadership team in a rural, high-poverty elementary school learned to lead continuous school improvement in a research–practice partnership.Design/methodology/approachThis case study draws on qualitative research methods, improvement science and Deming's notion of a system of profound knowledge to identify how members of the school leadership team understood and approached their school improvement work differently as a result of engaging in continuous improvement processes in a research–practice partnership.FindingsThe findings illustrate how engaging in continuous improvement processes in the research–practice partnership enhanced the leadership team members' capacities to prioritize and solve problems, incorporate multiple and diverse perspectives in problem-solving efforts and establish a culture of increased risk-taking and ownership of teaching and learning outcomes. In sum, the members of the leadership team became the drivers of their own change processes.Originality/valueThe findings provide insight into how leaders in rural, high-poverty schools can build capacity within their schools to meet the demand for increased student achievement by leading collaborative, continuous improvement processes grounded in improvement science in research–practice partnerships.

scholarly journals Organization of the educational process in the Rural School of the mountain region: a case study

2021 ◽  
pp. 1-19
Author(s):  
Olena Budnyk ◽  
Inna Nikolaesku ◽  
Nataliia Stepanova ◽  
Olena Vovk ◽  
Anna Palienko ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Distance Learning ◽  
Information And Communication Technologies ◽  
Rural Schools ◽  
Communication Technologies ◽  
Rural School ◽  
Educational Process ◽  
Mountainous Regions ◽  
Information And Communication ◽  
The Subject

The purpose of the article is to present the problems of a typical rural school in a mountainous region in terms of the organization of the educational process, in particular distance learning of students in a coronary virus pandemic. The following research methods were used: analytic-synthetic, empirical and mathematical statistics. The specifics of the organization of schoolchildren’s education in the alpine conditions of a small rural school are substantiated. The results of an empirical study conducted among teachers of rural schools in the mountains of Ukraine are presented. The subject of the survey were questions about the attitude of teachers to distance learning in rural schools, the realities and difficulties of using information and communication technologies (ICT) in the educational process. It was found that among teachers of various levels of rural education (preschool, primary and secondary school) 49.12% have a positive attitude to distance learning, 18.42% – partially support. Given the difficulties and problems of using ICT, lack of teaching materials for online learning, low level of digital and media literacy, 23.68% of teachers – strongly against this form of organization of the educational process in remote rural (mountainous) regions. Prospects for the development of rural schools in mountainous areas in the context of digitalization of education are identified.

Maximizing Expertise and Collaboration to Support Students With Brain Injury: A Case Study in Speech-Language Pathology

2019 ◽  
Vol 4 (6) ◽  
pp. 1267-1282
Author(s):  
Jessica Salley ◽  
Sarah Krusen ◽  
Margaret Lockovich ◽  
Bethany Wilson ◽  
Brenda Eagan-Johnson ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Brain Injury ◽  
Medical Setting ◽  
Speech Language Pathology ◽  
Speech Language Pathologists ◽  
Team Members ◽  
School Activities ◽  
School Based ◽  
Language Pathology ◽  
Specialized Education

Purpose Through a hypothetical case study, this article aimed to describe an evidence-based approach for speech-language pathologists in managing students with moderate-to-severe traumatic brain injury (TBI), particularly within a formal statewide-supported school-based brain injury team model, such as the BrainSTEPS Brain Injury School Consulting Program operating in Pennsylvania and Colorado. Conclusion Upon transitioning from the medical setting back to school, children with TBI present with unique educational needs. Children with moderate-to-severe TBIs can demonstrate a range of strengths and deficits in speech, language, cognition, and feeding and swallowing, impacting their participation in various school activities. The specialized education, training, and insight of speech-language pathologists, in collaboration with multidisciplinary medical and educational team members, can enable the success of students with TBI when transitioning back to school postinjury ( DePompei & Blosser, 2019 ; DePompei & Tyler, 2018 ). This transition should focus on educational planning, implementation of strategies and supports, and postsecondary planning for vocations or higher education.

It's Not Just a Job Anymore: The Influence of Cultural Change on Student Services Staff in a Community College

NASPA Journal ◽  
2006 ◽  
Vol 43 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Mary G. Locke ◽  
Lucy M. Guglielmino
Keyword(s):  
Community College ◽  
Customer Service ◽  
Cultural Change ◽  
Student Services ◽  
Change Process ◽  
Educational Leaders ◽  
Planned Change ◽  
Change Initiative ◽  
Nuanced Understanding

Today’s colleges and universities operate in a complex environment characterized by rapid and unrelenting change, and nowhere do the challenges inherent in change more directly impact students than in the delivery of student services. The need to integrate new models of service delivery, data-driven approaches to enrollment management, greater accountability for student success, stronger emphasis on customer service, and provision of “anytime, anyplace” services through technology are readily evident. Yet, many institutions are finding that their internal cultures are unreceptive, even hostile, toward adopting needed changes. This qualitative case study focusing on a 4- year purposeful change initiative at a community college was conducted to provide higher educational leaders with a more comprehensive and nuanced understanding of the influence of cultural change on student services staff. The results of this study indicated that student services staff constituted a distinct subculture that perceived, experienced, responded to, and influenced planned change differently from other subcultural groups. Specifically, student services staff more demonstrably supported the purpose of the change initiative; identified empowerment, inclusion and involvement in college decision-making, and improved lines of communication as the most important impacts of the change process; and expressed strong confidence regarding the sustainability of the changes that had occurred. Student services staff also indicated that they found greater meaning and developed stronger commitment to their work as a result of the change process. As a result of these findings, implications and strategies that may be helpful in designing and implementing a successful planned change initiative involving student services personnel are presented.

Patterns of Social Inclusion and Exclusion Among Youth Living in Stigmatized Neighborhoods

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Fabiana Espíndola Ferrer
Keyword(s):  
Social Integration ◽  
Residential Segregation ◽  
Neighborhood Effects ◽  
Social Inclusion ◽  
Urban Neighborhoods ◽  
High Poverty ◽  
Ethnographic Case Study ◽  
Negative Effects ◽  
The Social

This chapter is an ethnographic case study of the social integration trajectories of youth living in two stigmatized and poor neighborhoods in Montevideo. It explains the linkages between residential segregation and social inclusion and exclusion patterns in unequal urban neighborhoods. Most empirical neighborhood research on the effects of residential segregation in contexts of high poverty and extreme stigmatization have focused on its negative effects. However, the real mechanisms and mediations influencing the so-called neighborhood effects of residential segregation are still not well understood. Scholars have yet to isolate specific neighborhood effects and their contribution to processes of social inclusion and exclusion. Focusing on the biographical experiences of youth in marginalized neighborhoods, this ethnography demonstrates the relevance of social mediations that modulate both positive and negative residential segregation effects.

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