Solving the Rural Education Gap: Experts Weigh In on New Report’s Findings Tying Gap to Prosperity
Approximately half of all school districts in the United States are categorized as rural, and together they enroll around 12 million students, which accounts for a quarter of the overall public school population. This information comes from the National Center for Education Statistics.
A recent report, published by the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Economic Research Service in April, explores the correlation between rural education experiences and the future success of students in terms of high school graduation, college enrollment, and employment.
The study sheds light on the state of rural education and its connection to economic prosperity in regions that played a significant role in President Donald Trump’s election.
The report identifies several key findings:
1. While education levels in rural America are improving, older individuals, males, and minorities still lag behind their urban counterparts in terms of educational attainment.
2. Rural women are outpacing rural men in terms of education; women hold a larger share of degrees at every level.
3. Rural counties with the lowest levels of educational attainment, such as those in Appalachia and the Mississippi Delta, face higher rates of poverty, child poverty, unemployment, and population decline compared to other rural counties.
The report also highlights the difference in median earnings between rural and urban areas based on educational attainment. It notes that in 2015, median earnings in rural areas were significantly lower than those in urban areas across all levels of education, with a bigger earnings gap among individuals with higher education levels.
The challenges faced by rural education and the lack of opportunities in these areas have gained attention since the presidential election. Many working-class voters expressed hopes that President Trump would help revive struggling rural communities by, for instance, deregulating the coal industry and bringing back mining jobs. In line with this, President Trump recently announced plans to withdraw from the Paris climate accord, fulfilling a campaign promise to coal country and energy-dependent states in the West.
However, addressing the unique needs of rural students in a constantly shifting political and economic environment presents its own set of challenges. The report’s findings serve as a basis for policymakers to consider the task ahead.
One significant finding is the widening gap between urban and rural areas in terms of college completion. Between 2000 and 2015, the proportion of urban adults with at least a bachelor’s degree increased from 26% to 33%, while the share in rural areas grew from 15% to 19%. The report suggests that higher wages offered to college graduates in urban areas and the tendency of some rural students to leave their hometowns in search of better job prospects after graduation contribute to this growing gap.
Catharine Biddle, an assistant professor of educational leadership at the University of Maine, expressed no surprise at the data. She explained that urban areas are more favorable for highly specialized fields and collaboration due to denser networks. In contrast, rural areas have traditionally supported urban areas and the broader economy, but they have suffered from a decline in industries due to automation and outsourcing.
The report shows that although rural Americans have made educational advancements since 2000, certain demographic groups are still falling behind. Racial and ethnic minorities, older individuals, and men are less likely to hold a bachelor’s degree compared to their white, female, and younger counterparts. While the percentage of high school dropouts among rural Hispanics or Latinos decreased from just over 50% to 39% between 2000 and 2015, these groups still make up an increasing proportion of the rural population without a high school diploma.
Furthermore, the report highlights the educational gains made by rural women compared to rural men in obtaining high school diplomas, associate’s degrees, and bachelor’s degrees between 2000 and 2015. The share of rural women with bachelor’s degrees or higher increased by 5 percentage points, while rural men saw a 3 percentage point increase.
In summary, the report underscores the importance of rural education and its impact on economic prosperity. It highlights the disparities in educational attainment between rural and urban areas, as well as among different demographic groups within rural communities. Policymakers must address these challenges to provide equal opportunities for rural students and ensure their success in an ever-changing political and economic landscape.
"Women are increasingly earning college degrees regardless of location, but in rural areas, this has always been the trend," she stated. "Women perceive education to be more advantageous and filled with opportunities for them because the industries present in rural areas, like coal mining or natural gas drilling, which typically do not demand a college degree, are often highly gendered."
Allen Pratt, the executive director of the National Rural Education Association based in Chattanooga, Tennessee, speculated that the gender gap in college may be attributed to some men’s resistance to uproot their lives or their families in rural communities, where geographic location is deeply intertwined with their identity across generations.
"Attending college implies a significant commitment to leave…and relocate elsewhere," explained Pratt, a former high school science teacher and administrator. "Many males are reluctant to leave; they prefer to stay, work, raise a family, and fulfill their responsibilities."
Furthermore, the increased opportunities for women in the workforce compared to previous decades likely contribute to the higher number of women completing college, according to Pratt.
Rural counties with low levels of educational attainment experience poorer economic outcomes. The lowest educational attainment levels can be found in the rural South, which includes impoverished counties in Appalachia, the Mississippi Delta, and communities along the Texas-Mexico border. Higher poverty rates in the South are both a cause and a consequence of lower levels of education.
Pratt, from the National Rural Education Association, emphasized that inequitable school funding for rural districts and the greater political influence of non-rural education advocates due to their larger size further perpetuate inequality. "It is always a challenge to promote the voice and unity of rural districts," he said. "It’s a matter of numbers."
He suggests that one solution is to realign K-12 curricula to better align with changing workforce needs in rural areas. Creating incentives for young people to stay and contribute to their communities after graduation is crucial. Pratt highlighted a vocational training program launched in Chester County, Tennessee, in 2014 as an example. This program allows students to graduate from high school with a certification in advanced manufacturing, one of the state’s leading industries.
Biddle, a professor in Bangor, the third-largest city in Maine, with approximately 33,000 residents, agreed that it is long overdue to reconfigure the offerings in rural districts to meet the demands of the job market.
She argued that education in rural areas inadvertently upholds the systems that make it challenging for people to live sustainably in these communities today.
Biddle mentioned that jobs in mills, as well as the fishing and timber industries, are still accessible in rural areas, and there is a lingering sense of nostalgia that maybe they can still make it work. "I think there is this feeling of ‘Well, perhaps my children can still enter before this industry or career path becomes completely inviable,’" she said. "Schools are pushing back against this sentiment and emphasizing that a college degree is currently the best way to ensure that your child can adapt to the uncertain economic future that we are all grappling with in this country."
She highlighted the need for educators to receive support in effectively conveying this message to parents and encouraging families to start saving for college early.
However, schools alone cannot solve this complex issue. The key lies in promoting economic development in rural areas, which is a daunting policy challenge that necessitates collaboration among business leaders, elected representatives, educators, and families, Biddle expressed.
"When policymakers create policies, they often overlook traditionally rural areas," she noted. "There has been a somewhat laissez-faire attitude towards these areas, and I believe that communities that I have worked with feel that without proper support, it is difficult to chart a path forward."
Experts in rural public education, such as Biddle and Pratt, are generally against the use of vouchers. They argue that rural regions have fewer alternative district schools for students to choose from. When students opt to leave the district schools, the funding that would typically support them follows them to charter schools or private schools, causing a strain on the already constrained district budgets.
Biddle stated, "Implementing any kind of voucher system becomes incredibly challenging for a rural school system to sustain." While open enrollment and competition among public schools are being managed by principals and district superintendents, she believes that allowing competition from any type of school becomes very complex. This complexity is particularly evident when considering the needs of students with disabilities, as they may not receive the guaranteed special services they require.
On the other hand, Ron Matus, director of policy and public affairs for Step Up for Students, holds a more optimistic view. He draws on the success of the Florida tax credit scholarship program and an education savings account managed by his organization. This year, the organization has provided scholarships to over 105,000 students, including those with disabilities, enabling them to attend private schools and receive the necessary support services and transportation to public schools outside of their district.
Matus remarked in an email that although he is not aware of specific studies exploring academic outcomes for non-district schools in rural areas, his experience in Florida challenges the belief that private school choice cannot work in rural areas. He highlighted the presence of private schools in rural locations and the growth of such schools thanks to Florida’s diverse range of private and virtual school options. Matus believes that while school choice is not a universal solution, providing more options can create more opportunities for parents in rural areas to guide their children towards a successful future.
