The Effect of Rural and Low-Income School Grants on Student Achievement and Achievement Gaps

• In Event: AERA Roundtable Session Sunday 9:50 am Four Seasons Ballroom 2-3
  In Roundtable Session: Enhancing Student Achievement: Outcomes and Opportunities in Rural Educational Contexts (Table 6)

Abstract

Rural school districts serve over 9 million students, approximately one in five in the U.S. Despite strong community support, these districts face significant challenges, including higher poverty levels and difficulties in resource allocation and teacher retention. The Rural and Low-Income School (RLIS) program, part of the Rural Education Achievement Program, aims to address these issues by providing financial support to enhance academic achievement in low-income rural schools. Using data from the Stanford Education Data Archive and RLIS eligibility, we employed a regression discontinuity design to assess the program's impact. Our findings indicate that the RLIS program has had little to no significant effect on improving student achievement or narrowing achievement gaps.

Authors

• Se Woong Lee, University of Missouri

• Bradley Curs, University of Missouri