Extending our Reach: Rural Students and Educators Facilitator: Rusty Low, IGES, HEWG Lead, NASA SMD E/PO Earth Forum Date: March 16, 2014 Working with Diverse Audiences LPSC Pre-Conference Session

Importance of Working with Diverse Audiences Why do we work with diverse audiences? What are the benefits of working with these groups?

“Rural” defined: Geographic isolation from the services of cities and urbanized areas Small communities with low population density Areas where local industry is tied to place: (agriculture, coal mining)

High schools are a cornerstone of America’s rural communities Students living in rural areas are the least likely to enroll in or complete postsecondary training or education (John White, DOE) “When one out of every four students fails to graduate from our nation’s rural high schools, it’s not just a “local” issue, it’s a national crisis.” - Bob Wise, President, Alliance for Excellent Education

Rural students enrolled in remote rural areas: of 12M rural students, nearly 5 million are classified as distant or remote

Snapshot of Rural Schools advantages Small tight knit communities Active parental support High levels of volunteering Place-based identify Small schools: individualized attention Strong teacher-student relationships disadvantages Shrinking tax base funding inequity (40% of US students, 22% of funding economy of scale (purchasing power) Fewer course options (IB, AP rarely available 63% vs. 93+ % urban and suburban) Traditional values may discourage higher education and careers out- migration of young adults and professionals GeographIc isolation

Snapshot of Rural Schools advantages Small tight knit communities Active parental support High levels of volunteering Place-based identify Small schools: individualized attention Strong teacher-student relationships disadvantages Shrinking tax base funding inequity (40% of US students, 22% of funding economy of scale (purchasing power) Fewer course options (IB, AP rarely available 63% vs. 93+ % urban and suburban) Traditional values may discourage higher education and careers out- migration of young adults and professionals GeographIc isolation

Snapshot of rural teachers The typical rural teacher is from a rural background, and has ties to rural lifestyle Teachers are expected to teach multiple subjects or multiple grades Typically, the only science teacher in the high school Suffers from lack of colleagues to share ideas with Severe teacher turnover problem of teachers immigrating from urban areas

Snapshot of rural teachers The typical rural teacher is from a rural background, and has ties to rural lifestyle Teachers are expected to teach multiple subjects or multiple grades Typically, the only science teacher in the high school Suffers from lack of colleagues to share ideas with Severe teacher turnover problem of teachers immigrating from urban areas

Solutions: Proximity Increasing the per-seat federal funding base: enrolling International student programs to fill seats Summer residential programs for remote rural students on college campuses (in-reach) Coordinated rural STEM programming through county libraries and organizations like 4-H (outreach)

Solutions: Proximity Increasing the per-seat federal funding base: enrolling International student programs to fill seats Summer residential programs for remote rural students on college campuses (in-reach) Coordinated rural STEM programming through county libraries and organizations like 4-H (outreach)

Solutions: Virtual Solutions that can scale Distance learning to provide broader options in educational coursework Virtual “clubs” allowing like-ability/interest peers to connect “The day is coming when the work done by correspondence will be greater in amount than that done in the classrooms of our academics and colleges; when the students who shall recite by correspondence will far outnumber those who make oral recitations,”

Solutions: Virtual Solutions that can scale Distance learning to provide broader options in educational coursework Virtual “clubs” allowing like-ability/interest peers to connect “The day is coming when the work done by correspondence will be greater in amount than that done in the classrooms of our academics and colleges; when the students who shall recite by correspondence will far outnumber those who make oral recitations,” (Vincent 1855).

Rural Education Research Agenda/Outreach Considerations (2013) Stakeholders must drive research: Authentic partnerships Move away from the deficit model and focus on strengths Consider community context: service learning opportunities, generational influences Empower family involvement in children’s education Evaluate long-term impact of teacher professional development experiences. *Building relationships* building capacity* building networks*create meaningful opportunities

UNL Science Educator Specialization RURAL NEBRASKA/30+ experience/national 100% VIRTUAL, WEB-BASED SUPPORT CEU’S: “JUST IN TIME” SCIENCE TUTORIALS GRADUATE CREDIT COURSEWORK COHERENT PATHWAY TO MASTERS DEGREE We love to partner!

Place-based, local focus supporting learning and resilient rural communities

Partnering with rural education service providers One example: What can UNL-MAS offer ? – Access to digital products – Support in proposal development – Shared offering of on-line teacher courses – Participation in the Educator-Scientist Network – Lessons learned – Educator-Scientists = Scientist-Educators

Go-to Resource to learn more about Rural Schools National Rural Education Association – Includes teacher site, with online field trip links, including JPL – Links to other Rural focused school organizations The Rural Educator

More Resources Why Rural Matters: the Condition of Rural Education in the 50 States The Rural School and Community Trust The Rural School and Community Trust website is comprehensive. It has a list of resources for teachers, where we can announce resources and opportunities directly to this audience. It also has a resource link that provides access to information about rural education- mostly federal initiatives, but there are other resources as well. This resource can situate an outreach effort in the context of need, using state statistics National Center for Research on Rural Education

Discussion Points: Teachers say…

I’ve finished my master’s degree but I continue to take on-line courses because I need the connection with other science teachers. I teach biology, chemistry, physics and Earth science at my school. I wish I could offer my students an opportunity for a summer science program but there is nothing nearby they can take

Discussion Points: Teachers say… I’ve finished my master’s degree but I continue to take on-line courses because I need the connection with other science teachers. I teach biology, chemistry, physics and Earth science at my school. I wish I could offer my students an opportunity for a summer science program but there is nothing nearby they can take

Thanks and Discussion For questions, comments, more information and your opportunity to contribute to SMD E/PO Diversity Issues Community of Practice For questions, comments, more information and your opportunity to contribute to SMD E/PO Diversity Issues Community of Practice