Lexington, Kentucky — Why must rural students “beat the odds” to get to college?
That's the question Jim Shelton asked a panel of fellows last week at the 6th Annual Rural Summit, a gathering focused on addressing the needs of rural students. Shelton is president of the philanthropic organization Blue Meridian Partners and was deputy secretary of education during the Obama administration.
While rural students graduate from high school at higher rates than their urban and suburban counterparts, Only about 55% Go straight to college. People drop out at high rates due to financial barriers, transportation, internet connectivity and family responsibilities, speakers at the summit said.
Speakers acknowledged the differences and diversity among rural communities in places like Oklahoma, Kentucky, Hawaii, and Pennsylvania, making the following arguments: Our communities all have the knowledge, talent, and systems to help students succeed in college and beyond. We just need resources.
Education leaders and advocates say one answer is “place-based partnerships.” Collaboration between local agencies working together to improve outcomes for students and families.
“Schools are only part of the solution.” said Russell Booker, CEO of the Spartanburg Academic Movement, a place-based partnership for the South Carolina city. He said improving outcomes for rural students requires community partnerships that include school systems, housing, health care, criminal justice systems and local governments.
The summit was hosted by Appalachia, Kentucky-based nonprofit Partners for Rural Impact. The goal is to bring together people working in pre-K, K-12 and higher education to discuss opportunities for students “from cradle to career,” said Dreama Gentry, the group’s president and CEO.
Gentry said too often educators focus on a single indicator, such as kindergarten readiness, without considering how it relates to student readiness and success at each stage of education. “It’s really about taking a holistic view to make sure we’re supporting them every step of the way,” she said.
Some of the initiatives highlighted during the three-day summit include:
- Community Colleges of Appalachia has launched the Rural Educator Academy. In fall 2022, we will train staff to better understand and meet the needs of rural Appalachian students, especially low-income and underserved students.
The six community colleges in the first cohort worked to identify and alleviate specific issues facing students on their campuses. For example, Tri-County Technical College in Pendleton, South Carolina, focused on educating faculty and staff about the barriers that prevent poor students from attending college, and Big Stone Gap, Virginia. Mountain Empire Community College has developed a mentoring program. Creates a sense of belonging among first-generation and all incoming college students.
- Kinai 'Eha, a Hawaii-based nonprofit, was founded in 2017 with the goal of disrupting the state's school-to-prison pipeline, which primarily targets Native Hawaiian and Micronesian youth. We run a trauma-informed program rooted in Hawaiian culture and language, working with high school dropouts as well as those who have experienced homelessness, poverty, incarceration, or drug use. Students live and work on the farm, receive food and clothing, attend classes to complete their GED or HISET, and participate in work-based learning or vocational programs. In 2019, Kinai 'Eha helped secure state legislation requiring the creation of a task force to implement a system to assess and support children struggling with trauma, behavioral or mental health issues, and chronic absenteeism.
- Rural coalitions in states including Indiana and Texas provide career and technical education to high school students. This is part of an effort to expand access to higher education courses in rural areas and address the shortage of skilled workers in rural areas. For example, the nonprofit Rural Schools Innovation Zone launched in South Texas in 2019 to bring together five rural districts, five higher education institutions, and workforce groups to help students access the colleges and careers prevalent in the region. Create more opportunities to access . This collaboration established five career and technical academies in each high school, focusing on areas such as health and science, military, or skilled trades occupations. As of the 2022-23 academic year, 54% of RSIZ students are certified in their chosen industry. In 2023, the Texas Legislature passed a bill to expand the program to other parts of Texas.
This story about rural higher education students was produced as follows: Hechinger Reportis a nonprofit, independent media outlet focused on inequality and innovation in education. Sign up Hechinger Newsletter.