California schools received over $60 billion from federal and state stimulus funding to help students recover from the pandemic. This infographic summarizes the major programs districts have implemented during the 2022-23 school year. Most districts extended learning time and hired instructional supports, but few provided high-dosage tutoring.…

Rural schools have both strengths and challenges to face when educating students. For example, rural settings might have less access to resources compared to schools in other geographical areas. Rural schools often have difficulty hiring and retaining highly qualified staff, such as special education teachers and school psychologists, often the…

Violent and aggressive behaviors are social and health problems that have grown exponentially in Latin American countries. During the last two years, the COVID-19 pandemic has worsened the situation. In response to these problems, the Association for the Development of Comprehensive Education and Communities (Aseinc) has provided education and…

This brief summarizes themes from interviews with seven district- and school-level leaders who were asked to share experiences and lessons learned while implementing PBIS [Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports] in their rural school(s). The results offer a starting place for discussion on what is important to consider when implementing…

Peer coaching involves two or more professionals collaborating to reflect on and refine current skills and practices (Yee, 2016). The peer coaching model described in this article focused on grades K-2, a critical time for the development of students' reading skills. In the 2022-23 school year, a small pilot study was conducted of a program based…

Schools have the task of keeping students and staff safe; thus, emergency management planning is critical in rural communities despite the unique circumstances and challenges they may face. "Education Across America: Cities, Suburbs, Towns, and Rural Areas," a Website released by the National Center for Education Statistics, illuminates…

Rural schools experience difficulty in filling teaching positions at higher rates than non-rural schools. Recruiting and retaining teachers are critical in these districts; however, because the term "rural" is variable, a one-size-fits-all response is not possible. Rural communities tend to be geographically remote, have a low critical…

The article describes a promising new, fully virtual, multicomponent professional development intervention to support special education teachers in rural U.S. schools who enter the profession without full state licensure. The intervention seeks to strengthen special educators' self-efficacy in relation to classroom and behavior management, and…

Building district capacity for implementing Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (PBIS) in high need school districts is challenging. To better understand the level of support needed to successfully implement districtwide PBIS under challenging conditions, the National PBIS Center is conducting several model demonstrations of…

Since 2015, the Kentucky Department of Education (KDE) has provided schools across the state with access to highly skilled instructional coaches. Primarily working in rural settings, these coaches provide a voluntary, integrated coaching model that focuses on building sustainable systems. Coaches provide a range of services, including systems…

The Rural Education Achievement Program (REAP) is authorized by Part B of Title V of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (ESEA), as amended by the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA, P.L. 114-95) in 2015. Congress created this program to address the unique needs of rural schools that disadvantage them relative to non-rural schools. To…

COVID-19 prompted unprecedented disruptions to schools with challenges particularly severe for high-poverty remote rural schools. This case study recounts the story of a rural school that had participated in a research-practice partnership (RPP) multi-year improvement effort prior to the pandemic and documents the ways the RPP and the school-based…

USD 240 Twin Valley School District, consisting of Bennington Grade School and Bennington Junior High/High School in Bennington and Tescott Grade School and Tescott Junior High/High School, was one of seven districts initially selected in August 2017 as part of the first cohort of Kansas State Department of Education's Kansas Can School Redesign…

This demonstration features the collaborative work of a state-funded project matching university-based PBIS trainers with school level implementers in a rural setting. Strategies and lessons learned when implementing PBIS with fidelity during challenging times is shared. The information learned from this regional example highlights the need for…

Discussing the topic of special education teacher shortages across the United States has become commonplace. Although more widespread, special education teacher shortages in rural areas have gained less attention. Teachers in these areas face unique challenges such as overcoming geographic barriers to providing high-quality services, the isolation…