In Oregon, rural public schools make up one fourth of the public schools in the state and serve almost 50,000 students (Showalter, Klein, Johnson, & Hartman, 2017). Only two states have lower high school graduation rates than... [ view full abstract ]
In Oregon, rural public schools make up one fourth of the public schools in the state and serve almost 50,000 students (Showalter, Klein, Johnson, & Hartman, 2017). Only two states have lower high school graduation rates than Oregon for rural students. As more jobs require post secondary educations, it is critical that rural youth are provided pathways to post-secondary credentials as they move into adulthood. Much is known about why students disengage from school (Bowers & Sprott, 2012; Jimerson et al., 2000). However, there are only a few studies that examine disengagement for rural youth (Johnson, Strange, & Madden, 2010; Wilcox et al., 2014). Far less is known about the process of reengaging in school and how youth construct the process (Moore, 2016). The research that has been done on youth reengagement is situated within urban and suburban areas. In this qualitative study we examined why rural youth disengage from school and what options rural youth have in six Oregon communities when they are not successful in a comprehensive high school setting.
Historically, pursuing post-secondary education in rural places meant leaving the community and often not returning (Corbett, 2007; Hektner, 1995). In many rural places, this is still true, creating tensions around who stays and who goes, and what makes a young person successful (Carr & Kefalas, 2009). Perceptions around the value of higher education and economic opportunity are intricately linked for rural places which further complicates the messages young people receive about education and job training.
This study included focus groups with students, educators, and community leaders from 6 rural communities in Oregon. Counties were chosen to create a sample that varied in remoteness, school district size, and graduation rates. Community members assisted the research team in organizing the focus groups and providing translation services where necessary.
Young people across the counties focused on the quality of their relationships with teachers and counselors when describing their high school experiences. These relationships clearly shaped how youth engaged with their schools. More than one youth say they needed to “be seen.” There was a clear pattern of mental health challenges, especially anxiety, were the reason many youth were unsuccessful in comprehensive schools, an issue that is prevalent in urban settings as well (Duchesne et al., 2008). Others wanted their educations to be more relevant to their future aspirations. While the reasons for disengagement were parallel to urban places (Zaff et al., 2016), rural communities have minimal alternative options. Few communities had alternative education settings that provided a pathway to a high school diploma, instead students were only able to earn GEDs or participate in fully online programs. This study highlights the importance of school culture in rural high schools along with more policies that provide the structural changes to create multiple pathways for students to earn high school diplomas in small school districts. At the same time, because rural school districts are small, they can be nimble and may be well positioned to become leaders in re-engagement work for youth.
