Does rural mean not urban? Reconsidering the conceptualization and operationalization of rural school districts

Written By Richard O. Welsh

Richard O. Welsh
Urban Education
2024

Citation:

Richard O. Welsh, "Does rural mean not urban? Reconsidering the conceptualization and operationalization of rural school districts," Urban Education pp. 1-36. Copyright © 2024 (The Author(s)). DOI: 10.1177/00420859241227929

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Abstract

Increasing attention has been paid to rural education policy and research, yet few studies have examined the conceptualization of rural school districts. This study provides a conceptual and empirical examination of the definitions of rural districts. The results illustrate that a common, singular definition of rural is elusive and there is a prevailing notion of rural as “not urban.” Regardless of the operationalization of rurality, there are statistically significant differences across urban and rural districts in terms of their size, complexity, demographic composition, segregation, educational resources, economic structure, economic and social context, and academic and equity-related outcomes. Implications are discussed.

Keywords

rural education; education policy; rural education policy; school finance; urban schools; rural schools; urban education; urban and rural definitions

Richard O. Welsh
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