4: Strong Rural Learners

Approximately 19% of public school students are enrolled in rural schools, but in 13 states, this proportion rises to more than one in three students (Johnson et al., 2014; NCES, 2016). Although this percentage is relatively small when compared to the percentage of urban or suburban students, the needs and successes of rural students should be no less relevant to policy discussions than conversations concerning more visible students in metropolitan areas. Not only are rural education and therefore rural students studied less frequently and included less often in policy discussions, when they are addressed, it is through the perspective and values of metropolitan academics and policymakers. This urban-centric approach leaves the assets and concerns of rural schools and communities unaddressed, and as a consequence, leads to funding and reform mechanisms that do not accommodate rural contexts (Johnson & Howley, 2015).