Rural schools are facing threats due to global processes such as globalization, urbanization and demographic changes. However, schools have been shown to be significant for rural communities in geographical and social contexts, as they contribute to a sense of place through being hubs for communities, places for relationship building and integration alongside holding and reproducing local identity. Understanding why and how schools as part of rural communities matter can give an insight in how these can be supported by decision makers in future development. Addressing the gap in research regarding the importance of schools to rural communities, this thesis explores the topic by studying the planning perspective and experiences of rural schools. This is done through exploring two research questions ‘How are the municipalities working with and planning for rural schools?’ and ‘How are rural schools experienced by the children and their families?’. Drawing on qualitative semi-structured interviews and thematic analysis, the results show that municipalities can plan for rural schools through comprehensive planning and place development initiatives, but that political will steers the work. The results further show that rural schools are experienced through geographical, social and cultural perspectives relating to sense of place, meaning that the values that the school holds for the communities reflect the place. The thesis contributes to the field of human geography in terms of how sense of place and rural schools are connected, and to the field of planning regarding how municipalities can plan for and work with rural schools.

The purpose of this phenomenological, qualitative research study was to examine teachers’ perceptions of school administrators’ support of collaborative planning in small rural schools. Although there has been much research conducted on teacher collaboration through Professional Learning Communities, there has been little documentation of teacher collaboration in small rural schools (DuFour et al., 2020; Hansen, 2015; Moore, 2018). This research study examined teachers’ perceptions of collaboration and the role that school administrators play in the work to establish, support, and maintain collaborative teaming structures. Data collection strategies included individual interviews of practicing teachers, serving in small rural schools. Analysis of data occurred in three phases: transcribing interviews, line-by-line coding, and member checking. Analysis of the data revealed the following themes that highlight the need for school administrators to (a) establish teaming structures, (b) provide needed resources, and (c) create a culture of collaboration. Recommendations are provided for school administrators’ practice of supporting professional collaboration and suggestions for future research are provided.

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Countless research has identified that a good leader is crucial to the success of an organization. This is no different when looking in the school setting. Good leaders are paramount to the success of schools. In schools, the absence of good leadership, and more specifically a consistent leader itself, can be detrimental to the achievements of students, parents, teachers, and other stakeholders. Even though schools across the nation and the world are experiencing frequent principal turnover, there is little research into how this turnover is perceived by the stakeholders. This study focuses on the frequent turnover of leadership in one rural middle school where there had been eight principals in the past ten years, and how stakeholders made sense of this turnover. Framed by Turbulence Theory, this study details the importance for incoming leaders to recognize the impact that turnover has on stakeholders of the school. The study also identifies the need to identify and find ways to work with the stability factors present during a period of frequent turnover. / Educational Administration

This study examined the relationship between the condition of school facilities and student achievement and student behavior. The entire population of small, rural high schools in Virginia was used in this study. Building condition was determined by the Commonwealth Assessment of Physical Environment which was completed by personnel in the divisions of the forty-seven schools in the population. Student achievement was determined by the scale scores of the Test of Academic Proficiency for grade eleven during the 1991-1992 school year. Student behavior was determined by the ratio of the number of expulsions, suspensions, and violence/substance abuse incidents to the number of students in each school. All achievement scores were adjusted for socioeconomic status by using the free and reduced lunch numbers for each school. These variables were investigated using analysis of covariance, correlations, and regression analysis. This study found the student achievement scores were higher in schools with better building conditions. Student discipline incidents were also higher in schools with better building condition. Science achievement scores were better in buildings with better science laboratory conditions. Cosmetic building condition appeared to impact student achievement and student behavior more than structural building condition. Finally, varying climate control, locker, and graffiti conditions were factors which were positively related to student achievement scale scores. / Ed. D.

The nationwide effort to improve our schools and student achievement through a rebuilding of our educational system has not come without controversy; however, one element that is consistent throughout the research (Carnegie, Holmes, NEA, and the National Governors Association) is that teachers should participate in setting school goals and be accountable for achieving agreed upon standards of performance. This, of course, means a major shift in the current organizational and managerial structure of the school. The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between teachers' involvement in decision-making and their perceptions of the effectiveness of the academic programs in their schools. Also, an investigation was made between the relationship of the teachers' demographic characteristics and desired levels of involvement with the levels they reported. / Ed. D.

The purpose of this study is to present the history of the Alla rural public school, the only privately endowed public school in Texas, in order to show the part that adequate finances have played in its development and service to its community.

This study is concerned primarily with comparisons in subject matter achievement between the pupils in the small rural schools and the pupils in the city schools.