Giving Compass' Take:

• In some rural towns, online learning can help bridge gaps that rural schools face and help mitigate challenges. 

•  Rural schools can serve as vital engagement hubs in rural communities. How can philanthropists work with policymakers to help better support these ecosystems and ensure the success of students?

• Here’s an article about issues rural schools are having to retain teachers. 

Online learning may not be new, but its applications in K-12 education aren’t just numerous and wide-ranging. You could say they’re ‘far-flung’ as well.

Virtual instruction has been employed over the past decade in a variety of contexts. It’s been used by university educators during natural disasters and in periods of unrest such as the Arab Spring, among other circumstances. It follows suit that in the face of an epidemic, it would prove useful for all levels of education—see China’s latest education experiment since the country’s devastating coronavirus outbreak, where leaders of traditional brick-and-mortar schools are exploring temporary online options.

Issues Impacting Rural Districts
Digital learning providing greater flexibility is undebatable. Its potential as a solution to current educational challenges in rural areas, which are home to a quarter of all U.S. primary and secondary students, continues to emerge.

First, and perhaps unsurprisingly, rural schools face a number of challenges different than those of their urban, suburban, and town counterparts. According to a recent report by Evergreen Education and Future of School, these constraints include:

  • Declining enrollments
  • High socioeconomically disadvantaged populations
  • High transportation costs
  • Lack of computer and internet access in homes
  • Low teacher pay
  • High teacher turnover
  • Fewer teachers, especially in high-level courses
  • Fewer courses available to students.

Read the full article about online learning for rural schools by Kristi DePaul at Getting Smart.