A r c h i v e d  I n f o r m a t i o n

   FOR RELEASE                            Contact:  Melinda Kitchell    July 19, 1994                                      (202) 401-1008

CHALLENGES IN A CHANGING WORLD; THE CONDITION OF EDUCATION IN RURAL SCHOOLS

The comprehensive new report notes that some 6.9 million American public school students -- about one in six -- attend school in a community of less than 2,500 residents, or in an area defined by the Census Bureau as rural (1991-92). While rural students are found in every state, the percentage of students attending rural schools ranges from 5 percent in Rhode Island to more than 76 percent in South Dakota.

"One area of critical concern, as states develop comprehensive school improvement plans under the new Goals 2000 reform legislation, is to recognize and accommodate the tremendous diversity that is American education," U.S. Secretary of Education Richard W. Riley said. "This report represents perhaps the most comprehensive look to date at these special schools and will be of particular value to policymakers and educators as they seek ways to bring high academic standards to all students."

The study found considerable diversity among rural schools and rural economies. Schools vary in size, services provided, courses offered and student population. As with urban America, two-thirds of rural jobs are now in the service sector.

Prepared by the department's Office of Educational Research and Improvement, the report identifies low wages, many single- parent families, few social services, and high emigration of younger, better-educated residents as some of the challenges faced by many rural communities.

Other findings include:

• Teachers and principals in rural schools are generally younger, have fewer advanced degrees and receive lower pay and fewer benefits than do their non-rural counterparts. Many teachers did not major in the subject they teach, and rural secondary teachers are asked to teach more subjects than their urban peers. One-quarter of all teachers teach in rural settings (1987-88), but many eventually will leave the countryside for higher pay elsewhere.
• Although poverty is high in rural areas (one-quarter of rural children lived in poverty in 1986), rural residents pay a greater share of their income for schooling than average. Hampered by the high cost of education in areas with low population density, less experienced educators, poverty and limited job opportunities, rural schools face major difficulties preparing students for the workplace.
• By the 1980s, national surveys of students' skills and knowledge in virtually all subjects show that the scores of rural students now approximate the national average. Rural student performance exceeds that of urban students, but falls short of suburban students.
• Poverty is a factor in rural education outcomes. When economically similar students are compared, academic performance is similar.
• After they leave school, fewer rural dropouts return to finish high school and, in general, students have lower career aspirations. Fewer graduates prepare for and enroll in postsecondary education, perhaps because jobs often do not require a college education and there are fewer higher education institutions in rural counties. Those who do enroll in higher education perform as well as their urban peers, but often relocate to urban areas.
• What rural schools may lack in resources, they often seek to compensate with a supportive atmosphere that encourages participation in extracurricular activities, higher attendance, and a sense of belonging.