A volume in Research in Educational Policy: Local, National, and Global
Perspectives Series Editor: Kenneth K. Wong, Brown University The
impetus behind this volume stems from reflections on commemorations of
the historic Brown v. Board of Education decision. Brown turned 60 in
May of 2014, and many special issues of peer-reviewed journals were
dedicated to that anniversary. Unlike most special issues and volumes,
we sought to highlight a smaller part of Brown, though no less
significant. More specifically, we thought to develop a volume that
focused on rural education in the aftermath of the decision. Most of the
education policy and education reform literature caters to urban and
suburban contexts, and very few academic books and journal articles-with
the exception of research conducted by Craig, Amy, and Caitlin Howley
and the Journal for Research on Rural Education-focus on rural education
in the US. Thus, we wanted this volume to focus on the politics of
educational opportunity in rural contexts. There is a paucity of
rigorous research that examines how education policy affects the
conditions of rural education. More specifically, research is scarce in
examining the ways in which students in rural schools and districts have
access to educational opportunities, although approximately one-third of
all public schools are located in rural areas (Ayers, 2011). Educational
opportunity in rural districts has been plagued by geographic isolation,
loss of economic bases, and lack of capital (both financial and
political) to voice the need for resources. To be clear, this volume
does not present chapters that detail educational opportunity in rural
districts and schools from a deficit perspective. Instead, chapters in
this volume offer insight into both micro- and macro-level policies and
practices that shape educational opportunities for students in rural
schools and districts. As such, chapters in this volume investigate the
"now" of educa-tional opportunity for rural students and makes
recommendations and suggestions for "later". Given that, we are reminded
of James Coleman's (1975) thesis, "Education is a means to an end, and
equal opportunity refers to later in life rather than the educational
process itself" (p.28). This book will be organized into two distinct
sections. The first section, comprised of chapters that examine
educational opportunity in rural districts from a micro-level
perspective, is devoted to chapters that broadly examine the
implications of state and federal policy on educational opportunity in
rural schools and districts. The second section, which includes case
studies of rural districts in the American South, Appalachia, and the
Northeast, takes a macro-level approach to examining educational
opportunity in rural districts. Combined, chapters throughout the book
provide readers with both an overview and a specific snapshot of
educational opportunity in rural schools. Given the breadth and scope of
chapters included in this volume, we believe the book adds tremendously
to the education policy literature, as this vantage point has rarely
been included in larger education policy discussions.
