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Students Attending Rural Schools. H y de County, NC. Martha McGlasson. What is classified as a Rural School?. They are located within counties that contain less than 2, 500 people. Pamlico County, NC. Avg. Middle School Size NC: 655 Rural Districts: 272.
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Students Attending Rural Schools H y de County, NC Martha McGlasson
What is classified as a Rural School? They are located within counties that contain less than 2, 500 people Pamlico County, NC Avg. Middle School Size NC: 655 Rural Districts: 272 Warren County Middle School, NC
Rural school enrollment is increasing, while urban enrollment is decreasing. More than 40% of all America’s public schools are in rural areas. Laurel Middle School, Laurel Montana
Barriers to the Students Funds give on a per-pupil count or based off local propriety tax High teacher and staff turnover rate 25% Casewell High (7-12), Caswell County, NC [Fueled by less pay, and lack of adjustment to the rural community] Low Levels of adult education Video from rural teacher's perspective
Policy makers adopting a “One size fits all” attitude Consolidation Those for it propose it allows for more specialization and reduced pupil cost The ones opposed say longer bus rides are expensive and discourage students. It also does not allow for as much school-wide communication.
Poverty Six times more likely to drop out Three times more likely to get pregnant Lack of Motivation Poor Nutrition
High drop out rate NC: 70%......60% among minorities Lack of classes for advanced learners Minimal Non-Core Curriculum Lack of 21st Century Technology Skills
SOCIAL CHALLENGES Bullying: Especially among LGBTIQ students - Rural communities can have ridged ideals No community for support Health: Lack of health care services Chronic conditions such as asthma, obesity , diabetes A lack of extracurricular activities can lead to delayed social skills Sparse technology can lead to lack of ‘real world skills’ to enter the work force
RURAL EDUCATION IN NORTH CAROLINA Over half of public schools serve rural communities. 2nd highest rural school population in the nation A study published by the Rural School and Community Trust found that NC ranked 4th highest in the nation for the most urgent needs to be met NC has one of the highest impoverished, minority, and ELL students East of the Mississippi River NC has the highest number of rural ELL students NC ranks in the top 13 for lowest pupil expenditure
ENGLISH LANGUAGE LEARNERS The socioeconomic challenges that schools face are the biggest hindrance to providing quality services to ELL students Lack of teachers and resources: schools are far apart (One middle school per district) so sharing resources is difficult No professional institution (University/College) nearby to allow teachers the professional development they need to help students Hard and long process to keep up with the growing number of ELL rural students Policy makers don’t acknowledge these challenges so resources are not provided
Current Resources and Innovations National Center for Research on Rural Education 5 year program set up in 2009 by Department of Education to Research rural schools, and develop practices that enhance the reading and science skills of rural students across America. Focuses on finding structures that work for the advancement of teachers, students, and families Still a new program, research is being done right now, and in the years to follow we can expect to see implementation of practices
Current Resources and Innovations White House Rural Council Set up by President Obama to strengthen our rural communities. Focuses on job innovations More jobs means more resources 4-H Youth Development A Nationwide program that teaches students skills to become active members of their community and to develop ideas for an innovative economy.
Ideas for Teachers: Learn to write grants. Money is out there for things such as The NEA foundation technology and specialized teachers. Be willing to take on a couple of roles Set-up distant learning programs for ELL and AIG students Start up wrap-around programs that offer classes to parents such as technology and reading courses
Ideas for Teachers: Use the community as a resource Share facilities. If a church/community center has a gym – use it for plays, PTO meetings, fundraisers etc…
SOURCES: Rural Education In America. “Definitions”. http://nces.ed.gov/surveys/ruraled/page2.asp http://www.osbm.state.nc.us/ncosbm/facts_and_figures/socioeconomic_data/population_estimates/demog/countygrowth_bysize_2010.html http://www.whitehouse.gov/administration/eop/rural-council Rural areas face different health challenges. http://www.hrsa.gov/about/news/pressreleases/111024ruralchildren.html. October 24, 2011. May 1, 2012. Diverse needs call for flexible policies. http://www.mcrel.org/PDF/PolicyBriefs/5993PI_PBRuralSchools.pdf National Research Center on Rural Education Support. http://www.nrcres.org/. May 2, 2012. Rural Education at a Glance. http://www.ers.usda.gov/publications/rdrr98/rdrr98_lowres.pdf. Challenges in Rural Education Explored. http://www.gse.harvard.edu/news_events/features/2008/04/23_ruraled.php Audio Recording: http://wunc.org/programs/voices/rural_schools http://r2ed.unl.edu/resources_organizations.shtml