Community School Implementation and Sustainability in Rural Contexts

• In Event: Saturday Roundtable Session 3:05 pm
  In Roundtable Session: Exploring Aspiration and Community Wealth in Rural Places (Table 27)

Abstract

Community schools (CS) are a promising educational model that fosters partnerships between school and community, integrating a wide range of services and resources to support student development. CS have gained considerable attention in urban settings, yet their implementation in rural environments remains underexplored. This study examines benefits, challenges, and outcomes associated with CS adoption in the rural context using interview data, report documents, check-in tools, and logic models. Thematic analysis was conducted from which emergent themes were drawn across all study participants. Three broad patterns of rural community school implementation emerged, each linked to distinct characteristics and dynamics embedded in the rural communities and schools of interest. Implications and scholarly significance for rural education and rural policy implementation are discussed.

Authors

• Peter N. Knox, University of Vermont

• Bernice R. Garnett, University of Vermont

• Colby Kervick, University of Vermont

• Jess DeCarolis, Vermont Agency of Education

• Johannes Haensch, Vermont Agency of Education