The Value of People, Place and Possibilities: A Multiple Case Study of Rural High School Completion

Abstract

The U.S. national average for high school graduation falls far below that of many other industrialized countries and is marked by signifi cant graduation rate gaps between students of higher- and lower-socioeconomic status and students attending suburban vs. rural or urban schools (Rumberger, 2011). The failure of youth to complete high school is a problem both for them and for the greater society as high school dropouts have lower earning power, higher rates of incarceration, and poorer health, with all the attendant consequences for themselves, their families, and society (Hauser & Koenig, 2011; McLaughlin, Embler, Hernandez, & Caron, 2005; Purcell, East, & Rude, 2005). What are the qualities of classroom, school, and district processes and practices in rural high schools with higher-thanaverage graduation rates? How do these processes and practices compare with rural schools with histories of average graduation rates? In this study, six schools were sampled for a multiple case study of rural high school completion. Four had higher-than-average graduation rates, while two had average rates. All six schools were visited by site teams who conducted 63 interviews and collected documentary evidence of practices and processes related to high school graduation. Using cross-case analytic procedures, we found several important contrasts between the two sets of sample schools. Differences in graduation outcomes in these rural schools were associated with (1) the qualities of academic goals, expectations, and learning opportunities; (2) the nature of individual and collective educator effi cacy; (3) the strategies educators used to develop and maintain family relationships and engage community members; and (4) mechanisms for adapting instruction and employing interventions for students at risk of dropping out. Citation: Wilcox, K. C., Angelis, J. I., Baker, L., & Lawson, H. A. (2014). The value of people, place and possibilities: A multiple case study of rural high school completion. Journal of Research in Rural Education, 29(9), 1-18.