ERIC Number: ED627824
Record Type: Non-Journal
Publication Date: 2020-Sep
Pages: 12
Abstractor: ERIC
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: N/A
EISSN: N/A
Available Date: N/A
Gaining Ground on Equity for Rural Schools and Communities. Rural Equity Series
Tomlinson, Heather Biggar
Mid-Atlantic Equity Consortium
One in five Americans, or about 60 million people, lives in a rural area. Because 97% of the nation's landmass is considered rural, by definition these areas are sparsely populated and far from urban centers (United States Census Bureau, 2017). Although rural school districts are small--median enrollment is fewer than 500 students--the overall numbers are not: 28.5% of schools are rural and 9.3 million students attend them (Showalter, Hartman, Johnson, & Klein, 2019). The well-being and success of rural students is a critical determinant of the well-being and success of the nation as a whole. However one of the commonalities connecting rural areas is a lack of access to services, infrastructure, and equitable policies and practices. This article provides an overview of how equity relates to rural America and its students and schools. It examines racial diversity, poverty, intersecting discrimination, resource allocation for schools, broadband connectivity, access to high-quality child care, health services, and other topics impacting families in rural areas.
Descriptors: Rural Schools, Rural Areas, Equal Education, Educational Policy, Student Diversity, Minority Group Students, Poverty, Low Income Students, Educational Discrimination, Resource Allocation, Access to Computers, Internet, Child Care, Access to Health Care, Barriers, Teacher Shortage, College Readiness
Mid-Atlantic Equity Consortium. 5272 River Road Suite 340, Bethesda, MD 20816. Tel: 301-657-7741; Rax: 301-657-8782; Web site: https://maec.org/
Publication Type: Reports - Evaluative
Education Level: N/A
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: MAEC, Inc.
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A
Author Affiliations: N/A