Challenges, Assets, and Innovations: Considerations for Secondary Education in Rural Communities

Challenges, Assets, and Innovations: Considerations for Secondary Education in Rural Communities

Synopsis

The overall U.S. high school graduation rate is 73.1% among rural students. Nationwide, nearly half of all operating school districts are in rural areas, and 10 million children—approximately one-fifth of the nation’s student population—attend a rural school. Rural school enrollment is accelerating, and in recent years enrollment in rural districts increased by 15% while total school enrollment increased by a mere 1 percent. As unprecedented funds from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) flow to states and school districts and as policy priorities for the reauthorization of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) are being solidified, it is a critical time to examine the particular challenges, assets, and innovations present in secondary rural education across the country.

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