[EdNews] Rural Education Edition

No one knows better than educators about the importance of staying up-to-date. As part of our periodical Topical EdNews Round Up series, you’ll find the latest education news on important industry topics in one place.

In addition to traditional school issues, rural communities tend to face a unique set of challenges when it comes to day to day learning. Teacher shortages, long commutes, sparse internet access, and even transitioning to higher education at a larger school’s setting are just some of the things students from rural communities tackle every day. In this week’s edition of the EdNews Round Up, explore topics centered around issues faced by rural communities, educators, and students.

The Education Deserts of Rural America
The Atlantic
One in three Montanans lives more than 60 minutes from the nearest college campus. The tracts of land that separate these individuals and institutions are sometimes called “education deserts,” and they cover many patches of rural America. Add to that the fact that nearly 40 percent of first-time, full-time freshmen attend institutions fewer than 50 miles from home, and these statistics begin to sketch the outlines of a crisis.

How partnership brought broadband to one rural Indiana school district
EdScoop
High-speed internet access has given teachers and their students access to valuable learning resources they didn’t have before, but schools still left using outdated broadband technology are at a considerable disadvantage as education becomes increasingly digital, forcing them to come up with creative solutions.

How ESSA Could Complicate Rural Turnarounds
Education Week
With small enrollment numbers and frequent difficulties recruiting and retaining teachers, rural districts face added challenges in finding ESSA mandated, evidence-backed turnaround strategies that actually work

Rural Broadband Gets Big New Aid
Education Week
There's a new grant available from the US Department of Agriculture for communities with really slow internet service or none at all.

Establishing a Culture of Literacy in Rural Schools
National Rural Education Association
A culture of literacy is hard to achieve in any school, and rural schools are certainly no exception. Learn more about how one rural school principal was able to establish a strong culture of reading at his school in this blog post.

Back to school without a teacher: Inside the struggle to keep teachers at rural schools
USA Today
Rural districts are struggling with how to recruit and retain teachers, especially when the economy has been strong and well-prepared graduates have lots of other job options.

3 ways to expand higher education opportunities for rural students
Education Dive
A new report from the Institute for Higher Education Policy outlines three strategies rural communities are using to increase the college-going rates of their population.

Education policy is often a topic of conversation in state and federal legislatures. In this special topical edition, we highlight a few stories regarding rural education at the state and national level.

California Is First State to Mandate School Start Times
U.S. News
California has become the first state to enact a start time for public high schools and middle schools, but some school officials are confused about how to implement the law, which exempts "rural school districts" but does not define what that means. It's an issue that state regulators must resolve by 2022.

Virtual school: Is the future of Alabama public education online?
AL.com
More than 5,400 public school students in Alabama, including many rural students, today get their education entirely through a computer connection. While many parents seem happy with the home setup and flexible schedule, there are questions about how well students are learning.

Georgia among top-ten states needing rural education reform, new report shows
WFXL
Georgia is among the top ten states in the nation that need improvements in rural education, according to a 2019 'Why Rural Matters' report from the Rural School & Community Trust organization.

MSU receives funding for five-year project to educate teachers to fill jobs in rural Montana
Montana State University
Montana State University’s Department of Education and its partners have received funding totaling $6.2 million for a program delivered mostly online that is designed to recruit, train and mentor dozens of high-quality educators to work in rural areas of Montana.

‘I thought that I was prepared’: The often tough transition from rural counties to UNC
The Daily Tar Heel
Ashlin Elliott walked out of her first Chemistry 101 midterm feeling like she’d done pretty well. A fresh graduate of Columbia High School in Columbia, N.C., she’d received an A in Chemistry Honors. So when she flunked the test, it felt like a punch to the gut.