The National Academies
12/11/2024 | Press release | Distributed by Public on 12/11/2024 10:17
Rural Areas Offer Unique Opportunities for STEM Education, But Targeted Resources, Connectivity, and Training Needed
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Rural Areas Offer Unique Opportunities for STEM Education, But Targeted Resources, Connectivity, and Training Needed
News Release| December 11, 2024
WASHINGTON - A new report from the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine offers a road map for increasing access to science, technology, engineering, and math education opportunities and workforce development for students in rural communities. The report takes stock of existing federal programs and provides recommendations for federal, state, and local action to improve STEM education and workforce development in rural areas.
The committee that wrote the report emphasized that rural areas already have many STEM learning opportunities and resources that urban areas may lack, such as access to natural spaces. STEM learning experiences that connect to and leverage students' local rural knowledge and experiences are important components of effective K-12 STEM education in rural settings. Place-based learning experiences, often through local partnerships and the adaptation of instructional materials for local relevance, can be especially productive for building rural students' interest in STEM.
The report notes, however, that inequitable access to broadband in rural communities creates challenges for digital literacy in preparation for work and life, and improvement in rural STEM education and workforce development requires reliable access to broadband. Recent legislation has led to large investments in broadband connectivity across the U.S., and many federal and state agencies are working to improve access and adoption. It is difficult to determine the extent to which connectivity and access efforts will address broadband-related challenges for rural K-12 STEM education because the efforts are not well coordinated, some do not focus on affordability, and broadband access alone cannot improve programs with outdated or insufficient computers, routers, and other hardware.
Many rural communities, districts, and schools lack the capacity to identify potential funding opportunities, complete the application process, and meet the reporting requirements if funding is awarded. The report recommends that federal and state agencies, nonprofit organizations, nongovernmental organizations, philanthropies, and other groups with rural education portfolios consider how timelines or burdens for submitting applications for funding might create barriers for applicants in rural areas. These groups should consider adjusting requirements for receiving funding and provide opportunities for rural communities, districts, schools, and teachers to build their capacity to successfully respond to funding opportunities.
"STEM learning in rural areas can leverage strong connections to surroundings and students' culture, and rural spaces provide fantastic outlets to build passion and skills in STEM," said Tiffany Neill, co-chair of the committee that wrote the report, a research scientist at the University of Washington's Institute for Math + Science Education, project director of the Accelerated Cohorts for Teaching Success at the University of Central Oklahoma, and a curriculum project manager for OpenSciEd. "Unfortunately, a lot of these assets remain underutilized due to lack of funding or limited staffing. Our report focuses on how federal programs can better support each individual rural community in taking advantage of their unique potential."
Given the diversity and changing demographics of many rural areas, the report highlights how instructional approaches that connect to and leverage learners' cultural knowledge and experiences are especially important. To support teachers in providing effective STEM learning experiences, high-quality instructional materials with connected professional development that can be adapted for local relevance are essential.
Additional recommendations from the report include:
- Rural districts should work with regional teacher preparation programs to explore ways to address the shortage of STEM teachers in rural areas, through housing assistance, "grow your own" programs, or flexible and ongoing professional learning opportunities, among others.
- Institutions that offer teacher or school counselor preparation pathways should incorporate rural-focused coursework and opportunities for rural field placements in their licensure programs. These rural-focused components should teach about the diversity of rural communities, how to recognize assets in rural areas, and ways to leverage those assets when advising students.
- Rural school districts should explore consortium models for STEM education and workforce development that pool resources to maximize opportunities. These collaborative models could provide the possibility for students to participate in advanced STEM coursework, internships, and apprenticeships; professional development for educators; and improved access to out-of-school learning experiences.
- Rural districts should partner with each other and should seek community or industry partners with whom they can develop a variety of place-based and relevant STEM learning options.
The report highlights the need for a universal definition of "rural" in research to best understand how policy recommendations are implemented and affect communities. Currently, different agencies and researchers use different definitions of rural, and there is a need for a common measure of "rurality" that goes beyond a rural/nonrural dichotomy to capture dimensions such as population size, population density, extent of urban (built-up) area, and remoteness. This measure should be used both to monitor geographical disparities in STEM education and workforce development and to inform future development and administration of programs. The report recommends that the federal government develop a common measure, and other federal agencies, states, and nonprofit organizations should use it to coordinate future data collection and policy implementation.
"While it is essential that we develop a common definition of 'rural' for research, we also need to understand that each rural community is unique and brings different cultural assets to the table," said Katharine Frase, committee co-chair and vice president, IBM Education. In addition to a common definition of rural among policymakers, agencies, and funders, decision-makers also should invite individual communities to share their unique perspectives on policies that will affect their region. When developing state-level policy for STEM education and workforce development, education policymakers should ensure that representatives of rural districts are involved in the policymaking process or are given the opportunity to provide feedback on the policies and how they might impact rural districts and schools.
The congressionally mandated study - undertaken by the Committee on K-12 STEM Education and Workforce Development in Rural Areas - was sponsored by the National Science Foundation.
The National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine are private, nonprofit institutions that provide independent, objective analysis and advice to the nation to solve complex problems and inform public policy decisions related to science, engineering, and medicine. They operate under an 1863 congressional charter to the National Academy of Sciences, signed by President Lincoln.
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Featured Publication
2024
K-12 STEM Education and Workforce Development in Rural Areas
Rural areas can provide a rich context for learning science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM), but these communities and the students in them are often overlooked in ongoing efforts to expand access to high-quality K-12 STEM education and workforce development. Addressing barriers, often related to funding, and promoting unrecognized assets for STEM learning can enhance the ability of individuals in rural areas to further engage in and contribute to their communities or to broader scientific exploration and discovery.
K-12 STEM Education and Workforce Development in Rural Areas makes recommendations to federal, state, and local educational agencies, programs, and other relevant stakeholders to advance STEM education and workforce development for rural America. This report comes in response to a mandate within the CHIPS and Science Act of 2022.
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