Making Sense of Rural School and District Leaders’ Equity Challenges in New York State

• In Event: Navigating Equity-Oriented Praxis in Rural Spaces in a Polarized Political Landscape

Abstract

Objective
New York State (NYS) is among the most diverse states in the U.S. (U.S. Census Bureau, 2023). In part due to the state’s diversity, numerous policies have supported efforts to ensure every child receives equitable learning opportunities (NYSED, n.d., NYSED, 2021). Despite attempts to ensure these policies are inclusive, the ways rural school and district leaders experience equity challenges are distinct from their urban and suburban peers. Our objectives in this paper are to 1) present how rural school and district leaders in NYS experience equity challenges and their solutions; and 2) discuss how these leaders make sense of the dissonance between how equity is framed in state policy and their experiences of inequity.

Theoretical Perspective
We draw on social-ecological theory to situate school and district leaders’ experiences within the proximal (classrooms, schools, and districts) and distal (state) context (Brofenbrenner, 2009). We also utilize sensemaking theory to examine how educators ascribe meaning to their experiences addressing equity challenges (Weick, 1995; 2005). Sensemaking is a dynamic, social process by which individuals develop interpretations of events to understand their own roles and identities in organizations and to make decisions.

Methods
This multiple-case study investigated rural schools in NYS with better-than-predicted graduation outcomes, accounting for demographics such as economic disadvantage. The sample includes schools in several regions of NYS, categorized as rural fringe, rural distant, and rural remote. Data collection included school and district policy documents, interviews, and focus groups with school and district leaders.

Findings
Rural leaders in our study largely described two major equity challenges: access to 1) qualified staff and 2) health services and basic needs. Leaders described sparse candidate pools leading to staffing and scheduling challenges, as well as stretching staff across many responsibilities. Second, we found that these leaders experienced a paucity of services and material supports to meet mental health counseling and basic needs (e.g. winter clothing) that required extended wait times for services and significant outreach across regions to meet shortfalls. In terms of solutions to equity challenges, rural leaders identified grading policies as an equity challenge, and some described shifting grading policies as one way to forge a “common front” that could address inequities and bring together fatigued teachers with different views of equity that what are presented in state policy documents and policies.
While we found that current state policies and related initiatives (e.g. the CR-SE Framework and Framework on DEI) prioritize inclusion and belonging, they do not address staffing and material inequities identified by rural educational leaders. This study found dissonance between how equity is framed in NYS policies and policy documents and how rural educational leaders make sense of meeting equity challenges in their context.

Significance
This study provides insights into how rural educational leaders make sense of equity challenges, including the contrast between these leaders' experiences of inequity and the ways equity is framed in NYS policy. This study can benefit policymakers whose attempts to promote equity across the state may overlook urgent needs in distinct rural contexts.
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Authors

• Kristen C. Wilcox, University at Albany - SUNY

• Aaron Leo, University at Albany - SUNY