When the Teachers are “Locals”: A Case Study from a Low-Income Community with Average Reading Achievement

• In Event: Empowering Teachers and Pedagogies in Local Contexts

Abstract

This paper presents the results from a three-year qualitative case study of the teachers and instructional environment in Buell County, an Appalachian county in Eastern Kentucky where reading scores on the nationally-normed California Test of Basic Skills are normal despite high levels of social and economic risks. Findings indicate that highly trained, local teachers may be supporting positive academic outcomes despite the risk factors students face.

Author

• Sky Harmony Marietta, Harvard University