Getting Students to (and Through) Advanced Math: Where Course Offerings and Content Are Not Adding Up. American Educator Panels. Research Report. RR-A827-10

This report uses Spring 2022 data from nationally representative surveys of principals and math teachers in kindergarten through grade 12 (K-12) to explore students' opportunities to prepare for and take advanced math. The authors found that small high schools, high schools in rural areas, and high schools that predominantly serve students from historically marginalized communities tend to offer fewer advanced math courses (e.g., precalculus, Advanced Placement math courses) and that uneven access to advanced math begins in middle school. K-12 teachers who work in schools that predominately serve students living in poverty are more likely to report skipping standards-aligned content and replacing the skipped content with concepts from previous grade levels. Also, more than half of K-12 math teachers said they need additional support for delivering high-quality math instruction, especially teachers who work in schools that serve predominantly high-poverty students. In the wake of the disproportionate impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on students living in poverty and students of color, these results highlight a critical need for resources to support teachers and to increase student access to advanced courses. [For technical information about the surveys and analysis in this report, see "Learn Together Surveys. 2022 Technical Documentation and Survey Results. Research Report. RR-A827-9" (ED626092).]

Reaching Rural Students with Resources and Enrichment-Focused Learning in the Summer Months

Each student selected books during the last week of school and during the last days of the summer program, so that they had access to books when school was not in session. Since book ownership is an important motivator for reading, the students kept their books and were treated to one additional book on the last day of the program, when they took a field trip to a bookstore. Study Design Reallocating school resources required a research focus with data collection and analysis for continued approval of summer program funding. The mixed-methods design of the study included quantitative data (e.g., registration, attendance, STAR reading scores, Likert scale questions on student and parent questionnaires) and qualitative data (e.g., student focus groups, open-ended questions on student and parent questionnaires). Parents' written consent and students' assent were provided for STAR reading, focus group, and questionnaire data collection each summer.

Learning Mathematics with Plickers as an Assessment Tool in Rural Secondary School

Most Indonesian schools have to close immediately because of the COVID-19 pandemic, and there will be a quick transition to distance learning, requiring the usage of digital interventions. But the country's digital education infrastructure, particularly in rural schools, is not sufficiently developed to maintain and enhance students' learning outcomes. To address these problems Plickers (students response system) offers students an opportunity for a high-quality education while potentially reducing the cost of technology resources. This study enhanced integrated Plickers for learning mathematics in rural secondary schools. A quantitative and qualitative approach was used to examine how students participated in the learning and their perception, preferences, and motivation for using Plickers. The study involved 50 seventh graders, and 15 of them volunteered to participate in interviews. A paired samples t-Test revealed a significant difference between learning engagement on paper-based tests and learning engagement on Plickers-based tests. The majority of students also had positive opinions of Plickers, noting its usability, capacity to make learning more enjoyable, increase engagement in problem-solving, promote comprehension of the subject, and help students maintain their interest during class. While some students struggled to focus and thought Plickers was just a quiz tool that couldn't motivate them to learn. © 2023 IEEE.

Technology and Pedagogical Factors to be Considered when Building a Resilience Framework for Integrating and Using Mobile Technologies in South African Rural Schools

The global spread of corona virus has had a significant impact on the basic education systems across the world. Nation states and various government departments had to invent means for remote schooling particularly to ensure continuation of learning amidst the pandemic. One of the widely used means of teaching and learning adopted across the world was the use of mobile technologies for remote learning and content sharing. This directly tested the teachers and learners' resilience in using mobile technologies for teaching and learning. A scoping literature review was conducted to identify technology and pedagogical factors which affected the use of technology for teaching and learning during 2020 school closure. The findings of the literature review identify access to mobile technologies, pedagogical factors like effective usage of technology for teaching and learning, and connectivity as the main barriers for schools in rural areas. Findings from this exercise are used as factors to be considered when building a resilience framework for introducing and using mobile technologies in South African rural schools. The purpose of undertaking such a task is to complete a continuous evaluation of the need to develop a resilience framework and guidelines for the introduction and use of mobile technologies in South African rural schools.

Exploring the impact of the COVID-19 safety measures on learner-centred teaching in rural English FAL classrooms

AJOL : The Coronavirus (COVID-19) has disrupted the process of teaching and learning in unprecedented ways. There has been a shift in the way lesson presentation takes place in many classrooms. In particular, the COVID-19 safety measures (social distancing and wearing of masks) threaten learner-centred teaching in rural English First Additional Language (FAL) classrooms. As a result, there is a need to explore the impact of the COVID-19 safety measures on learner-centred teaching in rural English FAL classrooms. To achieve this aim, the study raises these questions: how do COVID- 19 safety measures disrupt learner-centred teaching in rural English FAL classrooms? How do rural English FAL teachers implement learner-centred teaching while adhering to the COVID-19 safety measures? The study adopts a qualitative research design and uses Document Analysis and Online interviews to generate data from eleven participants.Following thematic analysis, data revealed that the COVID-19 safety measures negatively impact learner-centred teaching in rural English FAL classrooms. The challenges include ineffective monitoring and scaffolding, difficulty engaging in concrete and cooperative learning, limited opportunities for creativity, and distorted communication.In response, the paper recommends various strategies to lessen the impact of the COVID-19 safety measures on learner-centred teaching in rural English FAL classrooms. These include: strengthening the home-school connection, creating a supportive classroom environment, incorporating fun activities in collaborative learning activities, and providing activities that encourage independent learning

Primary Teachers' Challenges in Implementing ICT in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) in the Post-Pandemic Era in Uganda

Information and communication, technology (ICT) has become a necessary tool in education post-COVID-19 pandemic. However, integrating ICT into teaching and learning has been a daunting challenge in many developing countries, such as Uganda. This qualitative case study investigated the challenges that primary school teachers face in implementing ICT in teaching science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) subjects in Uganda. The study found various challenges divided into three categories: infrastructure and internet connectivity;individual factors and administrative support;and curriculum and learner support materials. A significant obstacle was the lack of computer access, internet connectivity, and ICT textbooks. Additionally, teachers lacked the ICT skills necessary to integrate technology into their teaching methods, and administrative support was insufficient. The identified challenges in this study will require a multi-pronged approach that includes increasing investment in infrastructure, providing training and support to teachers, and developing relevant and appropriate ICT curriculum materials. In conclusion, this study highlights the challenges that primary school teachers face in implementing ICT in teaching STEM subjects in Uganda. By addressing the identified challenges, policymakers and stakeholders can take steps towards improving ICT integration in primary school education and bridging the digital divide in Uganda and other developing countries.

Internal learning partnerships: A study of collaboration in a high-performing rural school

Over the past decades, schools' academic success has been a major focus in the Department of Education beginning with the No Child Left Behind Act (2001) up to the current education reform, Every Student Succeeds Act (2015). The prominent factor in the establishment of the schools' academic success is collaboration. Collaboration is the ability to work together to reach and achieve a common goal. Collaboration has become a vital factor in education as have the establishment of internal and external learning partnerships. Learning partnerships are becoming more prominent in schools today. Internal learning partnerships are partnerships developed and established within an organization (Fullan, 2000). The participants build respectable relationships and trust, identify common goals, and develop and implement learning plans that are beneficial for the organization.This mixed-method case study was conducted to examine the levels of collaboration and internal learning partnerships within a high-performing rural intermediate school. This study focused on a partnership model by Reames and Kochan (2021) by viewing the key components of the model (relational factors, operational processes, and organizational structures). The purpose was to identify the extent of collaboration and internal partnerships through interviews and by analyzing network ties among the individuals within the school. This study was conducted within one rural high-performing school within one school semester during a worldwide COVID-19 pandemic. Data were collected through electronic surveys and video-chat interviews. Surveys were emailed to all teachers and administrators although responses were not received by all. Out of thirty-one individuals within the network, sixteen responded to the survey. In this school, each grade level was identified as a community. The results of this study revealed that collaborative ties were strong throughout the entire network, especially in designated communities. Internal partnerships existed through various committees, departments, and celebrations. The key central actors in this study were the principal and counselor, which was a unique aspect. Furthermore, the findings supported the Reames and Kochan (2021) partnership model by identifying positive and effective characteristics under each component of the model. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved)

Educator Turnover Has Markedly Increased, but Districts Have Taken Actions to Boost Teacher Ranks: Selected Findings from the Sixth American School District Panel Survey. Research Report. RR-A956-14

This survey wanted to obtain a national picture of teacher and principal turnover at the end of the 2021-2022 school year and districts' staffing shortages at the beginning of the 2022-2023 school year, researchers surveyed 300 district and charter network leaders in the American School District Panel from October to December 2022. Key findings from the survey include: (1) Teacher turnover increased 4 percentage points above prepandemic levels, reaching 10 percent nationally at the end of the 2021-2022 school year. Principal turnover increased too, reaching 16 percent nationally going into the 2022-2023 school year;(2) Teacher turnover in 2021-2022 was highest (around 12 to 14 percent) in urban districts, high-poverty districts, and districts serving predominately students of color. Meanwhile, principal turnover was highest (around 21 to 23 percent) in high-poverty districts and in rural districts;(2) District leaders generally perceived staffing shortages to be less acute in 2022-2023 than they were in 2021-2022. However, in fall 2022, staffing shortages continued to be most acute for substitute teachers, special education teachers, and bus drivers. High-poverty districts in particular had considerable shortages in several teaching categories;and (3) Ninety percent of districts experienced one or more policy changes either they or their state enacted to boost teacher ranks in response to shortages. Chief among these changes were increased pay and/or benefits and the expansion of grow-your-own teacher preparation programs. [For the technical document, see ED626482.]

Whatsapp Platform A Strategy To Mitigate Early Pregnancies Among Zimbabwe Rural Secondary School Learners Duringcovid -19 Era

During COVID- 19, in Zimbabwe4 959 teenagers fell pregnant and 1 774 adolescents were married between January and February 2021. I observed that, there are no contemporary studies in Zimbabwe that focuses on the effectiveness of WhatsApp dealing with grade 7 pregnant rural learners' issues during COVID-19 era. The aim of this paper is to explore the effectiveness of WhatsApp platform as a critical tool to mitigate early learners' pregnancies in Zimbabwean rural secondary schools during COVID-19 era. Ubuntu / Unhu theoretical framework couched this article. Interpretivism paradigm and a case study were used in this article. Purposive sampling technique was utilized to select fifteen participants and data from focus group were analysed through Thematic Analysis. The paper found that, WhatsApp message is effective in mitigating early pregnancies among adolescent learners in rural schools. It recommended that, internet service providers should charge lower WhatsApp data costs to help disadvantaged rural learners to access to internet. Consequently, there will be few or no early pregnancies among rural female learners in rural schools.

Rural Superintendent Turnover in Challenging Times: A Review of the Literature

Stressors for superintendents included shifting recommendations from public health officials, political pressure from local constituents, and conflict with state leaders, as well as challenges in meeting the basic needs of vulnerable families, supporting mental health of students and teachers, and creating new learning opportunities (Cohn, 2021;Hayes et al., 2021;Lochmiller, 2021;Lowenhaupt & Hopkins, 2020 Walls & Zuckerman, 2022). Conceptual Framework Given the importance of the superintendent role and relationship with both school board and community as factors for superintendent turnover, we structure our review of the literature around Kowalski (2003;2005) and Björk and colleagues (2014) conceptualization of superintendents' roles. [...]Björk and colleagues (2014) identified the role of superintendents as communicators, including dissemination of information and two-way communication with constituents. Navigating these conflicts effectively requires relationships with teachers, students, parents, and community members (Walls & Zuckerman, 2022), reflecting the importance of people-centered leadership identified as a key function of rural school leaders (Preston & Barnes, 2017).

Beyond the Headlines: Trends and Future Directions in the School Closure Literature

With the looming impacts of COVID-19 on district budgets, the growth of school choice options, and population shifts across urban, suburban, and rural contexts, an increasing number of districts have closed schools and more districts are expected to follow this trend. Rich scholarship has examined school closures, however, this field of research is limited in scope and methodological approach, and overwhelmingly focuses on the mass urban school closures of the mid-2010s. This offers a timely opportunity to consider new directions in the field. In this article, we identify trends in the scholarship on school closures by examining the empirical research in this area over nearly two decades. We conclude by offering a research agenda for future scholarship on school closures.

Information Literacy and Metacognitive Abilities of Teachers: Case of a South African Rural School

The objective of this qualitative study was to assess the information literacy and metacognitive abilities of teachers in a rural school in South Africa. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews. Due to COVID-19 safety considerations, primary data was acquired from 10 teachers via semi-structured telephonic interviews. All participants' views were transcribed and analysed using thematic analysis to determine the similarities and differences in terms of their responses. The findings of the study amongst others revealed that despite the giant strides made by the South African government to digitize teaching and learning activities in schools, large proportion of rural teachers have phobia to use computer applications unassisted. Also, low self-evaluation, goal-setting and help-seeking/self-reflection were found to be metacognitive abilities which hamper their effective teaching skills via usability of ICT. The study concludes by recommending programmes such as cognitive development, emotional intelligence, computer-digital programming for all teachers in rural schools for optimal performance.

Teacher Shortages during the Pandemic: How California Districts Are Responding

How are California districts handling deepening teacher shortages 18 months into the COVID-19 pandemic? Following up on a March 2021 study, "California Teachers and COVID-19: How the Pandemic Is Impacting the Teacher Workforce" (ED614374), this report describes the severe shortages many districts are experiencing and the strategies some are using to mitigate these shortages. Through a survey of a sample of California superintendents and human resources administrators conducted in August and September 2021, this study investigates the role COVID-19 has had on key aspects of teacher supply and demand, including teacher retirements, resignations, vacancies, and hiring strategies. Leaders from eight of the largest California districts participated in the study. In addition, the study included leaders from four small rural districts because research shows these types of districts often have additional challenges recruiting and retaining teachers. Together, these districts serve nearly 1 in 6 California students.

Virtual Professional Learning Communities: A Case Study in Rural Music Teacher Professional Development

The purpose of this study was to explore how a Virtual Professional Learning Community (VPLC) might serve as effective professional development for large ensemble teachers in rural communities interested in improving their pedagogy. We used a case study approach to investigate four rural music teachers who actively participated in an online professional learning community focused on implementing the "Comprehensive Musicianship through Performance" model of planning and instruction into one of their large ensemble classes. Based on our findings, we concluded that a VPLC provided rural music teachers with meaningful, content-specific professional development while also reducing feelings of professional isolation. However, we also identified challenges that impacted the effectiveness of the VPLC. The implications for music teacher educators are discussed.

Student and Faculty Coping and Impacts on Academic Success in Response to COVID-19

This study explored how faculty and students differed in their coping strategies to handle the severe stress brought on by COVID-19 and how this stress impacted student academic achievement. For this study,103 students and faculty at a rural southern university participated in the study where they reported on their coping mechanisms during the pandemic. Student grade data from midterm and final course grades were collected to measure academic achievement. Results of the study indicated that students were more likely than faculty to engage in maladaptive coping strategies, specifically emotional disengagement. The findings have theoretical and practical implications for teaching in higher education such as consideration of how students cope with severe stress compared to faculty and how it impacts academic achievement.

Impacts of the COVID-19 Pandemic on First-Generation, Low-Income and Rural Students in Indonesia and Vietnam: A Cross-Cultural Comparative Study

Comparative studies around the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic are still limited. This paper explores the question: how has the COVID-19 pandemic affected higher education students, and which ones have been most impacted? Indonesia and Vietnam are our focus. We leveraged a rich set of data collected online from both countries (n = 2600). We used regression analyses to measure students' wellbeing, financial hardships, access to technology, and educational satisfaction. As expected, we found statistically significant differences between both countries except for the wellbeing domain. For within-country comparison, consistent for both countries, low-income students were less likely to access technology and were more likely to experience financial distress than their counterparts. Indonesian first-gen students also showed a similar trend. Lastly, we observed a lower likelihood of satisfaction from rural and low-income students in Indonesia for their education during the pandemic. We provide our policy recommendations for both countries. [This manuscript accompanied a conference presentation at the 50th Annual Conference of Mid-South Education Research Association (MSERA) in New Orleans, Louisiana (November 9-12, 2021).]

Semiotic Alternations with the Yupana Inca Tawa Pukllay in the Gamified Learning of Numbers at a Rural Peruvian School

Yupana Inca Tawa Pukllay (YITP) is a ludic didactic resource based on semiotic alternation that, using the reading of numbers in the Inca numeral system, improves its equivalent Indo-Arabic reading. Twelve children from first to fourth grade of a bilingual (Spanish-Quechua), multi-grade elementary school in a small rural Peruvian community were assigned an electronic tablet with YITP and learned autonomously, without teachers during the COVID-19 pandemic. The results obtained show that: (a) they learned in a very short period of time (14 min - 05h 41 min) (b) they improved digit reading accuracy on the first attempt (c) they improved digit reading speed d) they achieved a high percentage of correct reading of numbers containing at least one zero digit. The results suggest the potential of YITP as an educational tool in the teaching-learning process of arithmetic. [ FROM AUTHOR]

Impact of COVID-19 on Self-Directed Learning: Perspectives of Rural English First Additional Language Teachers

Since the advent of the COVID-19 pandemic, there have been changes in the ways teaching and learning occur in most classrooms, including English first additional language classrooms. Teachers spent less contact class time with their English FAL learners to comply with the COVID-19 safety protocols, such as social distancing. More than ever, learners in rural schools faced the responsibility of learning independently for extended periods. The focus in this article is on how the learners' efforts to learn independently were disrupted and how teachers assisted these learners in overcoming these challenges amid the pandemic. The article explores the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on rural English FAL learners' self-directed learning. The findings confirm the existence of COVID-19-induced challenges that impeded rural English FAL learners' self-directed learning. These included a lack of motivation and a negative attitude towards self-directed learning, closure of learning facilities and a lack of learning material, overdependence on the teacher, poor physical learning environments and limited parental support. The study also reports on strategies that English FAL teachers used to enhance learners' self-directed learning during the COVID-19 pandemic. These included strengthening home-school partnerships, providing emotional support, and simplifying learning activities. The article concludes that the COVID-19 pandemic negatively impacted selfdirected learning in South Africa.

Comprensión lectora en la virtualidad: Experiencia de docentes peruanos en el contexto Covid 19

La COVID-19 trastocó la dinámica educativa global, situación que demandó el uso de las tecnologías a los docentes para desarrollar sus clases. Se analiza las experiencias de docentes peruanos con respecto a la enseñanza de la comprensión lectora en escuelas rurales del Perú en un contexto de educación a distancia. Se realizó un estudio cualitativo de diseño fenomenológico-hermenéutico centrado en tres categorías: Educación a distancia, significado de la enseñanza de la comprensión lectora y perspectivas de futuro de la educación post pandemia. Los participantes fueron seis docentes que trabajan en escuelas rurales de los departamentos de Cuzco, Huancayo, Huancavelica y Cajamarca del Perú, seleccionados a través de un muestreo propositivo e intencional. Se utilizó una entrevista semi estructurada de 15 preguntas. Los docentes que educan en escuelas rurales reportan que las necesidades socio económicas de los estudiantes limitan el acceso a equipos tecnológicos y a internet;a pesar de ello, fueron creativos e innovadores en el uso de estrategias para desarrollar la comprensión lectora en una educación a distancia en el contexto de la pandemia, demostrando compromiso y dedicación en esta modalidad.Alternate : COVID-19 disrupted the global educational dynamics, a situation that demanded the use of technologies by teachers to develop their classes. This paper analyzes the experiences of Peruvian teachers with respect to teaching reading comprehension in rural schools in Peru in a distance education context. A qualitative study of phenomenological-hermeneutic design focused on three categories: distance education, meaning of teaching reading comprehension and future perspectives of post-pandemic education. The participants were six teachers working in rural schools in the departments of Cuzco, Huancayo, Huancavelica and Cajamarca in Peru, selected through purposive and intentional sampling. A semi-structured interview of 15 questions was used. Teachers educating in rural schools report that the socio-economic needs of students limit access to technological equipment and the Internet;despite this, they were creative and innovative in the use of strategies to develop reading comprehension in distance education in the context of the pandemic, demonstrating commitment and dedication in this modality.

Factors that Affect School Counselor Retention in Rural Settings: An Exploratory Study

Teacher attrition is a well-known issue impacting K-12 schools in the United States. Sizeable research exists highlighting noteworthy factors that promote retention and attrition. However, scant research exists describing these factors within the context of school counselors working in rural settings. Considering this gap, we employed an inductive phenomenological approach to learn more about key attrition and retention factors, utilizing a sample of five rural school counselors employed in rural locales throughout the United States. Two overarching categories were identified: (a) school-based factors and (b) school community factors. Limitations and implications for rural school districts and counselor preparation programs are explored, along with areas for future research.