Pub Date : 2019-10-12DOI: 10.3776/tpre.2019.v9i2p1-5
Christina M. Tschida
Ninety-seven percent of the United States’ land mass is considered rural and close to 20 percent of the country’s population live in rural spaces (U.S. Census Bureau, 2017). These areas face such challenges as higher poverty coupled with lower budgetary revenue, lower levels of educational attainment, and critical problems in staffing schools (Fishman, 2015; Grooms, 2016; Showalter, Klein, Johnson, & Hartman, 2017). Although these issues are similar to urban areas, rural districts have considerable variability and specific needs that differ from their counterparts in urban settings (Johnson & Zoellner, 2016). Unfortunately, rural schools are often treated by federal and state policy makers like urban schools, with a one-size-fits-all approach to addressing the problems rather than from a strengthand challenges-based perspective (Fishman, 2015; Johnson & Howley, 2015).
{"title":"Innovative and Encouraging Research and Application of Co-teaching in Rural Settings: An Introduction to Volume 9, Issue 2 of TPRE","authors":"Christina M. Tschida","doi":"10.3776/tpre.2019.v9i2p1-5","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3776/tpre.2019.v9i2p1-5","url":null,"abstract":"Ninety-seven percent of the United States’ land mass is considered rural and close to 20 percent of the country’s population live in rural spaces (U.S. Census Bureau, 2017). These areas face such challenges as higher poverty coupled with lower budgetary revenue, lower levels of educational attainment, and critical problems in staffing schools (Fishman, 2015; Grooms, 2016; Showalter, Klein, Johnson, & Hartman, 2017). Although these issues are similar to urban areas, rural districts have considerable variability and specific needs that differ from their counterparts in urban settings (Johnson & Zoellner, 2016). Unfortunately, rural schools are often treated by federal and state policy makers like urban schools, with a one-size-fits-all approach to addressing the problems rather than from a strengthand challenges-based perspective (Fishman, 2015; Johnson & Howley, 2015).","PeriodicalId":93826,"journal":{"name":"Theory and practice in rural education","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2019-10-12","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"45545779","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2019-10-11DOI: 10.3776/tpre.2019.v9n2p47-64
Allen Guidry, C. Howard
Isolation between academic fields is an unfortunate reality in higher education and teacher education. Whereas current educational reforms invoke a need to collaborate, faculty are often unsure of how to design collaborative experiences. Research argues for the use of co-teaching to engage teacher candidates in beneficial learning experiences where instructors model the collaborative practices desired in those candidates. Additionally, the use of co-teaching in rural settings is shown to address some of the challenges associated with rural teacher preparation. With the hesitancy of many in higher education to engage in co-teaching in teacher preparation, it is crucial that those who do co-teach share the design, implementation, and perceptions of the process with others. This article presents the design, implementation, and reflections of students and teacher preparation faculty: one content methods instructor and one content literacy instructor. The authors present the hassles and hopes of using co-teaching in teacher preparation in rural regions to enhance course content and collaboration among teacher candidates.
{"title":"Mutual Mindsets: The Hassles and Hopes of Co-teaching in Teacher Preparation","authors":"Allen Guidry, C. Howard","doi":"10.3776/tpre.2019.v9n2p47-64","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3776/tpre.2019.v9n2p47-64","url":null,"abstract":"Isolation between academic fields is an unfortunate reality in higher education and teacher education. Whereas current educational reforms invoke a need to collaborate, faculty are often unsure of how to design collaborative experiences. Research argues for the use of co-teaching to engage teacher candidates in beneficial learning experiences where instructors model the collaborative practices desired in those candidates. Additionally, the use of co-teaching in rural settings is shown to address some of the challenges associated with rural teacher preparation. With the hesitancy of many in higher education to engage in co-teaching in teacher preparation, it is crucial that those who do co-teach share the design, implementation, and perceptions of the process with others. This article presents the design, implementation, and reflections of students and teacher preparation faculty: one content methods instructor and one content literacy instructor. The authors present the hassles and hopes of using co-teaching in teacher preparation in rural regions to enhance course content and collaboration among teacher candidates.","PeriodicalId":93826,"journal":{"name":"Theory and practice in rural education","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2019-10-11","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"42602045","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2019-10-11DOI: 10.3776/tpre.2019.v9n2p65-78
Tammy Barron, Holly H. Pinter, Kim K. Winter
As increasing inclusion in schools has been emphasized with each reauthorization of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act amendments, the implementation of co-teaching has increased. Co-teaching has emerged as a supportive framework that uses principles of social justice in building inclusive nurturing environments, yielding positive student outcomes in social as well as academic areas of education. The authors explored the use of co-teaching within a laboratory school setting by analyzing experiences between general education faculty and not only special education faculty but also preservice teachers. Research has found that co-teaching to support preservice and early-career teachers is a natural outgrowth of the special education and general education partnerships created in the co-taught classroom when an intern is placed in such a setting. When used with fidelity, co-teaching is an instructional option that plays an integral part in building effective and efficient ways to foster student learning while enhancing classroom community. Co-teaching can be a powerful mechanism that supports sharing of responsibility and accountability for student achievement, as well as social, emotional, and behavioral growth. A child-centered philosophy was perceived as important to both preservice and co-teachers because of the individual factors that guided practice. With strong leadership from school administrators, commitment and flexibility on the part of classroom teachers, and skills of colleagues, preservice teachers report outstanding growth. Co-teaching, carefully implemented, can foster a nurturing classroom culture and support preservice teachers as they apply knowledge and skills in a constant reflective process, which benefits all teachers and students.
{"title":"Supporting Student and Preservice Teacher Successes Through Co-teaching","authors":"Tammy Barron, Holly H. Pinter, Kim K. Winter","doi":"10.3776/tpre.2019.v9n2p65-78","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3776/tpre.2019.v9n2p65-78","url":null,"abstract":"As increasing inclusion in schools has been emphasized with each reauthorization of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act amendments, the implementation of co-teaching has increased. Co-teaching has emerged as a supportive framework that uses principles of social justice in building inclusive nurturing environments, yielding positive student outcomes in social as well as academic areas of education. The authors explored the use of co-teaching within a laboratory school setting by analyzing experiences between general education faculty and not only special education faculty but also preservice teachers. Research has found that co-teaching to support preservice and early-career teachers is a natural outgrowth of the special education and general education partnerships created in the co-taught classroom when an intern is placed in such a setting. When used with fidelity, co-teaching is an instructional option that plays an integral part in building effective and efficient ways to foster student learning while enhancing classroom community. Co-teaching can be a powerful mechanism that supports sharing of responsibility and accountability for student achievement, as well as social, emotional, and behavioral growth. A child-centered philosophy was perceived as important to both preservice and co-teachers because of the individual factors that guided practice. With strong leadership from school administrators, commitment and flexibility on the part of classroom teachers, and skills of colleagues, preservice teachers report outstanding growth. Co-teaching, carefully implemented, can foster a nurturing classroom culture and support preservice teachers as they apply knowledge and skills in a constant reflective process, which benefits all teachers and students.","PeriodicalId":93826,"journal":{"name":"Theory and practice in rural education","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2019-10-11","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"43443138","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2019-10-11DOI: 10.3776/tpre.2019.v9n2p79-91
Maureen Grady, Charity Cayton, Ron Preston, Rose Sinicrope
Planning for instruction is a complex and important task, requiring teachers to consider content, lesson objectives, and student learning. Teachers’ ability to attend to the complexity of planning differs with experience level and is especially difficult for novices and pre-service teachers. We examine the potential of co-planning during the internship experience to assist interns in making the transition from being a mathematics education student to becoming a mathematics teacher. We describe six strategies to facilitate co-planning between mentor teachers and interns. Implications for these strategies in other teaching contexts and relationships will be shared, as well as current and future research efforts.
{"title":"Co-Planning Strategies for Mentor Teachers and Interns","authors":"Maureen Grady, Charity Cayton, Ron Preston, Rose Sinicrope","doi":"10.3776/tpre.2019.v9n2p79-91","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3776/tpre.2019.v9n2p79-91","url":null,"abstract":"Planning for instruction is a complex and important task, requiring teachers to consider content, lesson objectives, and student learning. Teachers’ ability to attend to the complexity of planning differs with experience level and is especially difficult for novices and pre-service teachers. We examine the potential of co-planning during the internship experience to assist interns in making the transition from being a mathematics education student to becoming a mathematics teacher. We describe six strategies to facilitate co-planning between mentor teachers and interns. Implications for these strategies in other teaching contexts and relationships will be shared, as well as current and future research efforts.","PeriodicalId":93826,"journal":{"name":"Theory and practice in rural education","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2019-10-11","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"42486166","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2019-10-11DOI: 10.3776/tpre.2019.v9n2p20-34
H. Williams, R. Ditch
This study adds to the current understanding of co-teaching in rural school systems, specifically its use to equitably serve the needs of English learners (ELs). The authors investigated one western U.S. rural district’s implementation of a co-teaching model where general classroom teachers shared teaching responsibilities with an English as a second language (ESL) teacher in a secondary school setting. Research has long shown traditional pull-out models for teaching ELs are not the most effective because there is often a disconnect between what is happening in the mainstream classroom and what is happening in the pull-out placement. This quantitative study included observations of 20 co-taught classes during 400 minutes of classroom instruction to measure fidelity to the district’s co-teaching model. This article details the extent to which teachers utilized specific co-teaching strategies. It also reports on the quantity of teacher-student interactions in general and relative to ELs and non-ELs. Observations revealed that EL students worked primarily with the language specialist, and most of those interactions took place in the context of individualized support. Implications regarding equity and opportunity to learn academic content for both EL and non-EL students are discussed.
{"title":"Co-teaching: Equity for English Learners?","authors":"H. Williams, R. Ditch","doi":"10.3776/tpre.2019.v9n2p20-34","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3776/tpre.2019.v9n2p20-34","url":null,"abstract":"This study adds to the current understanding of co-teaching in rural school systems, specifically its use to equitably serve the needs of English learners (ELs). The authors investigated one western U.S. rural district’s implementation of a co-teaching model where general classroom teachers shared teaching responsibilities with an English as a second language (ESL) teacher in a secondary school setting. Research has long shown traditional pull-out models for teaching ELs are not the most effective because there is often a disconnect between what is happening in the mainstream classroom and what is happening in the pull-out placement. This quantitative study included observations of 20 co-taught classes during 400 minutes of classroom instruction to measure fidelity to the district’s co-teaching model. This article details the extent to which teachers utilized specific co-teaching strategies. It also reports on the quantity of teacher-student interactions in general and relative to ELs and non-ELs. Observations revealed that EL students worked primarily with the language specialist, and most of those interactions took place in the context of individualized support. Implications regarding equity and opportunity to learn academic content for both EL and non-EL students are discussed.","PeriodicalId":93826,"journal":{"name":"Theory and practice in rural education","volume":"1 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2019-10-11","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"41904498","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2019-10-11DOI: 10.3776/tpre.2019.v9n2p35-46
Eileen M. Wertzberger
In an attempt to be more culturally responsive to the needs of its students, universities across the country are leveraging technologies to make their campuses more readily available to a broader student audience. Yet, with the proliferation of online teacher preparation programs, difficulties arise in providing preservice teachers with quality field experiences. This case study examines how telepresence robotic technology was used to facilitate a field experience that would otherwise have been prohibitive in a master of arts in teaching program. While a substantial body of literature examines the use of virtual environments and technologies in educating hard-to-reach populations, little research has been done in how telepresence technologies may effectively bridge the access gap for preservice teachers who are place-bound geographically. The findings from this study suggest that, when coupled with the implementation of effective co-teaching practices, telepresence technology can facilitate meaningful field experiences in real time, for place-bound preservice teachers without local K-12 institutions to host their field experiences.
{"title":"The Future of Field Experiences in Distance Education:","authors":"Eileen M. Wertzberger","doi":"10.3776/tpre.2019.v9n2p35-46","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3776/tpre.2019.v9n2p35-46","url":null,"abstract":"In an attempt to be more culturally responsive to the needs of its students, universities across the country are leveraging technologies to make their campuses more readily available to a broader student audience. Yet, with the proliferation of online teacher preparation programs, difficulties arise in providing preservice teachers with quality field experiences. This case study examines how telepresence robotic technology was used to facilitate a field experience that would otherwise have been prohibitive in a master of arts in teaching program. While a substantial body of literature examines the use of virtual environments and technologies in educating hard-to-reach populations, little research has been done in how telepresence technologies may effectively bridge the access gap for preservice teachers who are place-bound geographically. The findings from this study suggest that, when coupled with the implementation of effective co-teaching practices, telepresence technology can facilitate meaningful field experiences in real time, for place-bound preservice teachers without local K-12 institutions to host their field experiences.","PeriodicalId":93826,"journal":{"name":"Theory and practice in rural education","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2019-10-11","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"48636473","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2019-10-11DOI: 10.3776/tpre.2019.v9n2p6-19
W. Lochner, Wendy W. Murawski, Jaime True Daley
Delivering special education to students with disabilities requires highly prepared and collaborative teachers, inclusive learning environments, and strategies that promote cognitive engagement, but many students lack access to these necessities. In rural schools teacher shortages and traditional teaching methods may contribute to disengagement. Some rural districts have turned to co-teaching to disrupt this pattern of inequity. Effective co-teaching between two highly prepared teachers in a general education setting offers students the opportunity to be included and may improve engagement for all students. To investigate the relationship between co-teaching and student cognitive engagement, this study observed teachers in eight rural secondary schools in West Virginia to evaluate differences in student cognitive engagement in co-taught versus solo-taught classrooms. Four district personnel were trained on both cognitive engagement strategies and co-teaching approaches and collected observational data. The Instructional Practices Inventory was used during short walk-throughs to measure cognitive engagement during 701 solo-taught and 181 co-taught observations. Observations occurred in 5th- through 12th-grade classes in reading, mathematics, science, and social studies throughout one full school year. Statistical tests compared mean engagement scores across the different models of instruction. Results indicated that students in co-taught classrooms were more cognitively engaged than students in solo-taught classrooms. These results suggest the need for increased professional development for teams to move beyond the one teach, one support model of co-teaching, additional research on cognitive engagement and co-teaching, and teacher preparation programs to include more examples of, and training in, quality co-teaching models.
{"title":"The Effect of Co-teaching on Student Cognitive Engagement","authors":"W. Lochner, Wendy W. Murawski, Jaime True Daley","doi":"10.3776/tpre.2019.v9n2p6-19","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3776/tpre.2019.v9n2p6-19","url":null,"abstract":"Delivering special education to students with disabilities requires highly prepared and collaborative teachers, inclusive learning environments, and strategies that promote cognitive engagement, but many students lack access to these necessities. In rural schools teacher shortages and traditional teaching methods may contribute to disengagement. Some rural districts have turned to co-teaching to disrupt this pattern of inequity. Effective co-teaching between two highly prepared teachers in a general education setting offers students the opportunity to be included and may improve engagement for all students. To investigate the relationship between co-teaching and student cognitive engagement, this study observed teachers in eight rural secondary schools in West Virginia to evaluate differences in student cognitive engagement in co-taught versus solo-taught classrooms. Four district personnel were trained on both cognitive engagement strategies and co-teaching approaches and collected observational data. The Instructional Practices Inventory was used during short walk-throughs to measure cognitive engagement during 701 solo-taught and 181 co-taught observations. Observations occurred in 5th- through 12th-grade classes in reading, mathematics, science, and social studies throughout one full school year. Statistical tests compared mean engagement scores across the different models of instruction. Results indicated that students in co-taught classrooms were more cognitively engaged than students in solo-taught classrooms. These results suggest the need for increased professional development for teams to move beyond the one teach, one support model of co-teaching, additional research on cognitive engagement and co-teaching, and teacher preparation programs to include more examples of, and training in, quality co-teaching models.","PeriodicalId":93826,"journal":{"name":"Theory and practice in rural education","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2019-10-11","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"48845503","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2019-06-01DOI: 10.3776/TPRE.2019.V9N1P44-60
M. Coady, M. Lopez, Nidza V. Marichal, D. Heffington
The number of English language learners (ELs) across the United States continues to grow, particularly in rural and new destination settings. However, educators remain un- and under-prepared for working with ELs nationally. This article provides findings from a study of one teacher leader professional development program in a rural school district that sought to prepare educators for ELs. We describe the professional development program and the rural context of the district. Findings from this study derive from an online survey of participants. Data reveal that rural educators seek to acquire skills and strategies that go beyond the classroom setting and that enable them to connect with EL families. They also believe that teacher leaders of ELs demonstrate compassion and build social-emotional support networks for themselves as professionals, as well as with EL families.
{"title":"Preparing Teacher Leaders for English Language Learners in Rural Settings","authors":"M. Coady, M. Lopez, Nidza V. Marichal, D. Heffington","doi":"10.3776/TPRE.2019.V9N1P44-60","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3776/TPRE.2019.V9N1P44-60","url":null,"abstract":"The number of English language learners (ELs) across the United States continues to grow, particularly in rural and new destination settings. However, educators remain un- and under-prepared for working with ELs nationally. This article provides findings from a study of one teacher leader professional development program in a rural school district that sought to prepare educators for ELs. We describe the professional development program and the rural context of the district. Findings from this study derive from an online survey of participants. Data reveal that rural educators seek to acquire skills and strategies that go beyond the classroom setting and that enable them to connect with EL families. They also believe that teacher leaders of ELs demonstrate compassion and build social-emotional support networks for themselves as professionals, as well as with EL families.","PeriodicalId":93826,"journal":{"name":"Theory and practice in rural education","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2019-06-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"45736589","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2019-05-30DOI: 10.3776/tpre.2019.v9n1p105.
Laura Levi Alstaedter
{"title":"Editorial Board for Theory & Practice in Rural Education, Volume 9, Number 1","authors":"Laura Levi Alstaedter","doi":"10.3776/tpre.2019.v9n1p105.","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3776/tpre.2019.v9n1p105.","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":93826,"journal":{"name":"Theory and practice in rural education","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2019-05-30","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"43515728","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2019-05-30DOI: 10.3776/TPRE.2019.V9N1P61-73
W. Henry
This article investigates efforts by rural superintendents and rural principals to identify and leverage the local resources available to them to support learning improvement agendas within their schools. This study investigates practices within a diverse range of rural schools located in Washington State to understand how resources can be identified and allocated to best support student learning. In addition, this article explores the importance of family and community engagement in administrators' school improvement agendas. The conceptual framework for this study is informed by literature investigating resource allocation for educational improvement. This study was designed to better understand how rural education leaders identify, leverage, and allocate supports and resources, particularly those available within their immediate communities, to meet the needs of their staff and students. The rural schools represented in this study demonstrate trends in student achievement gains, despite challenges facing rural schools, such as increasing economic stratification in rural communities and diseconomies of scale in operating small schools and districts. Administrators meet these challenges by (a) maximizing teacher's instructional time through assuming duties often performed by nonadministrative personnel in other settings, thereby reaffirming the particularly multifaceted nature of rural school leadership; (b) forging formal and informal partnerships within the immediate community and geographic region to support student learning; and (c) leveraging the interconnected nature of rural communities in ways that increase community engagement in schools. Thoughtful community engagement strategies help manage the external politics of resource distribution within schools and ultimately materialize support for student learning.
{"title":"Identifying and Allocating Resources for Learning Improvement","authors":"W. Henry","doi":"10.3776/TPRE.2019.V9N1P61-73","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3776/TPRE.2019.V9N1P61-73","url":null,"abstract":"This article investigates efforts by rural superintendents and rural principals to identify and leverage the local resources available to them to support learning improvement agendas within their schools. This study investigates practices within a diverse range of rural schools located in Washington State to understand how resources can be identified and allocated to best support student learning. In addition, this article explores the importance of family and community engagement in administrators' school improvement agendas. The conceptual framework for this study is informed by literature investigating resource allocation for educational improvement. This study was designed to better understand how rural education leaders identify, leverage, and allocate supports and resources, particularly those available within their immediate communities, to meet the needs of their staff and students. The rural schools represented in this study demonstrate trends in student achievement gains, despite challenges facing rural schools, such as increasing economic stratification in rural communities and diseconomies of scale in operating small schools and districts. Administrators meet these challenges by (a) maximizing teacher's instructional time through assuming duties often performed by nonadministrative personnel in other settings, thereby reaffirming the particularly multifaceted nature of rural school leadership; (b) forging formal and informal partnerships within the immediate community and geographic region to support student learning; and (c) leveraging the interconnected nature of rural communities in ways that increase community engagement in schools. Thoughtful community engagement strategies help manage the external politics of resource distribution within schools and ultimately materialize support for student learning.","PeriodicalId":93826,"journal":{"name":"Theory and practice in rural education","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2019-05-30","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"44854971","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
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