January 2021 — Volume 21, No. 1
Equity in Rural Education

Our refereed journal, the State Education Standard, includes articles by subject-matter experts, who provide insight into education policy issues that are significant for state boards of education. An editorial advisory board comprising state board members reads and comments on drafts of each major article of the Standard prior to its approval for publication.

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The State Education Standard is published periodically by the National Association of State Boards of Education, 123 N. Pitt Street #350, Alexandria, VA 22314. Published by NASBE under Creative Commons license CC By-ND 4.0. ISSN 1540-8000. The opinions and views expressed in this journal do not necessarily represent those of NASBE.

Rural schools are the heart of community life, but they face significant challenges that the pandemic has only magnified. The January 2021 issue explores the state board of education and policymaker role in many of these factors: a lack of resources, cultural and virtual isolation, poverty and demographic trends, educator recruitment and retention, and risks to student health and well-being.

Equity in Rural Education

Identifying Risks to the Well-Being of Rural Young Children and Families

By Sara L. Hartman

The pandemic compounded an array of preexisting health and wellness challenges in many communities.

Teacher Recruitment and Retention in Rural Colorado

By Kirk Banghart

Rural districts band together, with help from partners and grants, to attract and keep teaching staff.

Colorado’s Network for Local Accountability

By Kirk Banghart

A network of rural peers help districts design meaningful, timely, community-connected accountability.

Professional Learning in Appalachia

By Melissa Tooley and Sabia Prescott

Microcredentials show promise in overcoming the challenges of offering rural educators high-quality opportunities.

Challenges Facing Schools in Rural America

By Mara Casey Tieken and MK Montgomery

In schools accustomed to making a little go a long way, the pandemic increased the burden.

Online Learning for Rural Students

By Reg Leichty

Expanded rural broadband service can help overcome inequitable access to digital instruction.

Opinion

Image Credit: iStock

The NASBE Interview: Fern Desjardins, Robin Stevens, and Sandra Kowalski

By Fern Desjardins, Robin Stevens and Sandra Kowalski

The rural perspective needs to be brought to the state board. There are so many implications.

Business meeting handshake. Image credit: iStock

NCOSEA Voice: What State Education Agencies Need to Know about FERPA

By Julie C. Tolleson

State boards can set the vision for sharing data to serve the interests of students, families, and schools.

Woman talking on panel at meeting. Image credit: iStock

State Board Voice: School Meals: A Basic Ingredient for Equity

By Pamela L. Davis-Vaught

A critical lifeline now, school meals will continue to help level the playing field for future generations of students.

Image Credit: iStock

We the Media: Family Engagement during the Pandemic

By Renée Rybak Lang

State boards should seize every opportunity to help schools strengthen bonds with families.

Woman talking on panel at meeting. Image credit: iStock

From the President’s Pen: Mind the Gaps

By Robert Hull

Where are the access and opportunity gaps that you need to bridge in your state?

Featured Items

Image of a black man voting. Credit: Canva

State Education Elections in 2024 Yield Few Shifts

Voters in nine states, three territories, and the District of Columbia elected 64 state board candidates.

Cropped shot of elementary school children using a tablet in class

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Technology in Education

Savvy state leaders will set their sights on ways to broaden access to technology’s benefits, solve problems confronting educators, and protect students against the risks of misuse.

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Developing Content Standards: A Foundational Task for State Boards

State boards of education typically play a central role in approving academic content standards, though their authority varies by state. This boardsmanship review outlines guiding principles and common processes to help state boards develop high-quality standards.

Upcoming Events

From the States

States Face Challenges Building a School Mental Health Workforce

Challenges persist in attracting and retaining this school-based mental health professionals, but some states, including Virginia, Ohio, Colorado, Michigan, and others, are making progress.
States Address Access to Menstrual Products in Schools

States such as Georgia, New York, Utah, and others have increasingly opted to combat “period poverty" by expanding access to free menstrual products in schools.