Setting a Research Agenda for Rural Education

When you spend time in rural schools throughout the United States, you quickly notice that they are hubs of innovation. In rural East Texas, for example, a new partnership between schools and industry is improving STEM learning opportunities and strengthening the local economy. And in rural Maine, where I live, schools are using project-based learning to embrace the educational opportunities afforded by their natural surroundings. In both cases, schools are leaning on the advantages of their rurality to help students engage with learning that is relevant to them and their communities.

These stories often go unrecognized because we don’t talk enough about rural education in this country, but we should. One in five students in the United States lives in a rural community, and more than 9 million students attend rural schools. The challenges that these students face—and the solutions that their communities come up with—are a significant part of understanding the American education experience.

Educational research, too, has often left rural America’s schools unexamined. It is difficult to conduct studies in rural communities—schools are spread out, making visits difficult for researchers, and some districts simply do not have enough students to participate in large-scale, randomized control studies. But when research does occur, the questions asked and methods used are often misaligned with the concerns and realities of rural stakeholders.

Soon, rural schools may get more of the attention they deserve. The National Rural Education Association recently set a five-year research agenda that will guide research and funding opportunities for the next half-decade. Centered around equity, the agenda stakes out five priority areas for research: policy and funding; health and wellness, college and career trajectory; partnerships and community relationships; and teacher and leader preparation, recruitment, and retention.

The agenda was developed following extensive outreach—including interviews, focus groups, and a national survey—to rural educators, administrators, policymakers, and rural education researchers over the last year. As such, it offers a fantastic opportunity to center the needs, concerns, and priorities of rural stakeholders, as well as elevate the quantity and quality of research in rural communities.

Over the next five years, we have an opportunity to dive into some of the most vexing challenges facing rural education. What conditions prompt qualified teachers to leave rural districts? How can we improve the induction process for new teachers? What are the impacts of school consolidation? How do local economic trends impact students’ pursuit of post-secondary opportunities? What innovative approaches have been developed to address these challenges?

The NREA’s research agenda will help communities shed more light on the realities of rural education. It will also help deliver money, resources, and expertise to diverse rural communities across the country. And, critically, it will deepen the knowledge base about rural education, helping educators, administrators, and policymakers implement solutions that are informed by place and backed by data. I am looking forward to seeing what we learn.

Have you seen or experienced innovative approaches to education in rural schools? Please share them below.

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Pam Buffington, director of Rural STEM Initiatives, specializes in expanding access to high-quality STEM education, closing opportunity gaps, and cultivating equity-oriented research and practice with a particular focus on rural schools and communities.