What the Research Says

Report: Rural Enrollment up 15%

The Rural School and Community Trust has released "Why Rural Matters 2007: The Realities of Rural Education Growth". This new report shows that rural school enrollment is up 15%, a reversal from previous years' declines in enrollment. Perhaps the most startling statistic in this year's report is the evidence of a 55% increase in minority student enrollment in rural schools, with some states showing more than a 100% increase. Read "Why Rural Matters 2007: the Realities of Rural Education Growth."

Report: Education Reform Tough on Rural Schools

A February 2005 report from the Rural School and Community Trust suggests an urgent need for policymakers to pay attention to rural education issues across the United States. Read  "Why Rural Matters 2005: The facts about rural education in the 50 states."  

Navigating Resources for Rural Schools Offers Extensive Data

The National Center for Education Statistics has updated its rural education Web site, Navigating Resources for Rural Schools. The January 2006 version of the site contains a wealth of data, including:

• an overview of how locale is defined in various NCES data collections 
• data on student enrollment and participation rates, student assessment, progress through school, and per-pupil expenditures and revenues
• data on teachers' credentials, salaries, attrition rates, and student/teacher ratios
• information on coursework, including vocational education offerings
• measures of the quality of the school environment, including student behavior, school discipline, and crime
• data on school facilities, including access and use of technology
• data on parents’ satisfaction and engagement with schools

Report Examines School Status in Rural Areas, Small Towns

NEA Research's report Status of Public Education in Rural Areas and Small Towns – A Comparative Analysis examines the status of public education in rural areas and small towns. Included in the analysis are topics related to schools, students, teachers, technology and education funding. The report makes recommendations in key areas, including increasing funding support to rural schools. While half of the nation’s public schools and about 40 percent of the nation’s students are in rural and small town areas, the data show that only 22 percent of the total education budget was going to schools in rural and small towns. (September 1998)