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“Stephen F. Austin State University’s attempts to bring National Attention to the Needs of Children and Families Living in Rural Areas”. NRCRES Conference University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill November 6, 2009 Dr. John E. Jacobson. Setting the Context.
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“Stephen F. Austin State University’s attempts to bring National Attention to the Needs of Children and Families Living in Rural Areas” NRCRES Conference University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill November 6, 2009 Dr. John E. Jacobson
In the poorest 800 rural school districts, there are almost 1,000,000 students—24% African American; 20% Hispanic; 10% Native American. More than 70% qualify for free and reduced meals, more than in Philadelphia or Detroit. Ninety percent of these students live south of the Mason Dixon Line from North Carolina to California. Tompkins, Rachel, B. (February/March 2009), Rural Policy Matters, Volume 11, No. 2, page 1.
The highest priority rural education regions are the Southwest, Southeast, Mid-South Delta, and Appalachia. • Poverty, fiscal incapacity, low levels of adult education, and low levels of student achievement run in the same mutually reinforcing circles in states in these regions, many of which are as fiscally challenged as their citizens and schools.
In low achieving states, policies are making things worse, not better. • Research suggests that states serving higher percentages of students who are poor or have limited English language skills will have to invest additional resources to enable their students to reach the same level of achievement as other states. Research also demonstrates that poor and minority students derive substantial achievement benefits from attending smaller schools and districts. But the actual patterns we find in rural America are exactly the opposite. As expected, the states where the educational outcomes in rural schools require the most urgent attention are the states with the most impoverished, minority, and ELL rural students. They are also the states where schools receive the fewest resources and where students attend the largest schools and districts.
Many states have seen a dramatic change in the demographic makeup of their student population in the past decade. • Nationally, the percent increase is about 55%, and states such as Texas, California, and North Carolina-each ranking near the top in terms of number and/or percent rural minority enrollment-show increases of more than 50%.
Rural schools are most racially and ethnically diverse in the Southeast and Southwest. • Mississippi, South Carolina, Texas, Oklahoma, Louisiana, North Carolina, Georgia, Delaware, Florida, Alabama, and Virginia serve 80% of all rural minority students in the U.S. The most diverse rural student populations are concentrated in states where rural education is not likely to be a primary policy focus.
The poorer and more diverse the rural student population, the lower the rural NAEP scores. • Twelve states have the lowest average scores on both the math and reading NAEP test for rural schools. They are located primarily in the Southwest, the Southeast, and Central Appalachia (Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas, Georgia, Hawaii, Louisiana, Mississippi, Nevada, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Tennessee, and West Virginia). These states also have high socioeconomic challenges and student diversity, showing a strong correlation between these factors and low rural NAEP scores.
As rural America grows increasingly diverse, the need for adequate resources and supportive policy environments to meet the needs of English Language Learner (ELL) students grows ever more important. • Nearly one-half of all ELL students live in rural communities, and the rate of growth of this population is very high. But the growth in ELL student populations is rural areas is not spread uniformly across states, within states, or even within school districts. Regionally, the fastest growth (in terms of both actual growth and percentage growth) occurred in the southeastern U.S. Rural schools serving proportionally larger ELL student populations, on average, face higher concentrations of traditional barriers to educational achievement than do their counterparts serving fewer ELL students. In many states, higher percentages of ELL students are associated with higher levels of poverty among all students.
Texas • 20.9 Million • Diverse Population • 70. 97 % Anglo • 33.99% Hispanic • 11.53% African American • 3.33% Other • 254 Counties • 1,261 School Districts • 1,032 ISD • 4,505,572 School Age
TEXAS – More children attend rural schools in Texas than in any other state (more than three quarters of a million), yet its rural enrollment comprises less than 18% of the total student population. Socioeconomic challenges are critical concerns for rural education in Texas, as are large numbers of English Language Learners and the nation’s largest minority enrollment. Transportation costs are proportionally low compared to instructional spending, and school and district size is slightly below average, but revenue distribution is relatively inequitable and instructional salaries are low.
East Texas • 1.1 Million • Diverse Population • 77.0 % Anglo • 8.8% Hispanic • 16.4% African American • 1.0% Other • 26 Counties • 130 School Districts • 229,146 School Age
Projected Proportion of Population by Race/Ethnicity in Texas, 2000-2040*
Educational Attainment in 2000 in Texas for Persons 25+ Years of Age By Race/Ethnicity Percent
Projected Percent of Public Elementary and Secondary Enrollment by Race/Ethnicity in 2000 and Projections for 2040*
Percent Change in Enrollment in Selected Elementary and Secondary School Programs in Texas, 2000 to 2040* Percent Change *Projections are for the 1.0 Scenario
United States’ focus has been mainly on Urban Issues • Most professional organizations have focused on Urban Literacy • i.e. IRA established an Urban Literacy Commission and a Standing Committee on Diversity • Only recently did the U.S. Department of Education establish a Center for Rural Education • The U.S. Department of Education funds only one major grant to research rural education issues. • Connected with The National Center for Rural Education Support
Joined with them in piloting early reading intervention program and conducting experimental research Starting visiting with rural school districts surrounding the university about their needs Visited with Professional organizations, senators and congressman about issues Started writing/receiving grants (gear up, transition to teaching, FIPSE, ELL) all targeted in preparing and in-servicing teachers in rural areas Decided we needed to host a National Summit on Rural Education in an attempt to raise national attention to rural education issues
2008 National Summit on Rural Education www.PerkinsCollgeSummit.net
March 28, 2008Summit Goals • Brought broad U.S. attention to rural education • Defined the unique needs of children and families living in rural areas • Highlighted rural successes that may be applied to urban/suburban settings • Examined local, state and national policies related to rural education • Explored solutions to the challenges of education in rural settings
Presenters • President George W. Bush, Comments on “The Importance of Education in America” (video) • Representative Louie Gohmert, Texas Congressman from District One, “The Role of Congress in Rural Education” • Secretary Margaret Spellings, U.S. Department of Education, “Summit Vision: A National Rural Education Dialogue” (video) • Dr. Michele Chin from Senator John Cornyn, Texas, “Rural Education, Job Creation and Competitiveness” • Dr. Rachel Tompkins, President of The Rural School and Community Trust, “Why Rural Matters” • Senator Kay Bailey Hutchison, Texas, “Meeting the Education Needs of Children and Families in Rural America” (video)
Mary Kusler, Director of Government Relations, American Association of School Administrators • Larry Bradley, President, National Association of Secondary School Principals • Seth Adams, President of the National Rural Education Association • Susan Luinstra, Teacher of the Year, National Rural Education Association • Frank Cantu, Director, Division of Border Health, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services • Dr. Christine Ormsbee, American Association of Colleges for Teacher Education • Dr. Lynn Vernon-Feagans, Co-Director of The National Research Center on Rural Education Support, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill • Dr. Robert Hall, Chair of Education Leadership, Western Illinois University • Dr. John E. Jacobson, Dean of the James I. Perkins College of Education, Stephen F. Austin State University
What are the Rural Factors? • Location • Student Diversity • Poverty • Immigration • Health and Human Services • Access to Medical • Access to Community Services • Broadband Internet • Access to Specialized and AP Courses in High School • NCLB • Highly Qualified Teachers • School Choice • Title I resources • High Educator Attrition Rates that mirror Urban rates
Blog Topics • Educational policy needs for rural school districts. • The role of professional organizations and the need to sponsor research in the area of rural education. • Rural school district partnerships with higher education and other agencies. • Consolidation of rural school districts. • Changing demographics in rural school districts. • Parental and community involvement in rural school districts. • Recruiting and retaining highly qualified and quality teachers to rural school districts. • How to offer a full curriculum in an efficient manner • Financial issues confronting rural school districts
Dr. Lee Stewart’s Research • The purpose of the study was to answer the question: Is there a relationship between student achievement in Texas, as measured by the Texas Assessment of Knowledge and Skills (TAKS) test, and the size of the high school at different socioeconomic levels? The data from this study suggest a relationship does exist.
Findings • Data reveals that in all but the 1st SES quartile, smaller schools experience higher percentages of students passing all four parts of the eleventh grade TAKS test in Texas than the larger schools.
IRA’s Rural Diversity Subcommittee • Provide advice and recommendations to the Board of Directors to enhance the awareness of the Association to diversity issues related to rural education. This can include recommendations for changes in IRA policies and procedures to enhance the Association’s programs and professional development. • Recommend initiatives to the Board of Directors and work with appropriate groups to expand Association; membership among those who work in rural settings • Develop partnerships with other associations, organizations, and foundations in working to enhance literacy in rural settings like migrant populations, small school districts, etc.
