Defining Rural: Similarities and Differences in Missouri's Rural School Districts

• In Event: Policy and Culture in Rural Education

Abstract

For education policies to be effective in local contexts, policymakers must consider school and community geographic characteristics. We focus on Missouri, where over two-thirds of its school districts are located in rural areas. Enrollment in these districts varies over 100-fold, yet little research describes the similarities and differences between these districts and how to appropriately distinguish between them. In this study, we analyze data from the American Community Survey and National Center for Education Statistics to compare school, financial, and community characteristics to identify relationships between a district’s size, location, and community qualities. The findings help to distinguish rural communities and school districts and may prompt future rural education-focused research to appropriately tailor education policies to rural contexts.

Authors

• Dorothy Rohde-Collins, Saint Louis University
  Presenting Author

• Abigail Burrola, Saint Louis University
  Presenting Author

• J. Cameron Anglum, Lehigh University
  Presenting Author