Rural School And Community Trust

Programs: Capacity-building program - has four principal components: technical assistance and support for schools and communities; school turnaround and reform; school and community connections; and youth-led academic and civic engagement. The program focuses in particular on strengthening the connections between rural schools and communities, and on teacher development that is responsive to, and supportive of, place-based education, and school leadership development.

communications - publishes a monthly e-newsletter, rural policy matters, which provides news of interest to citizens and community groups working on policy issues affecting rural schools. The rural trust also maintains a website and utilizes social networking tools. The rural trust maintains an active publications program that includes why rural matters, a bi-annual snapshot of the condition of rural education in each of the 50 states, and numerous special reports and white papers.

policy/environment: seeks to understand and illuminate the public policy issues that affect the ability of rural communities to develop and operate schools that meet the needs of rural students and contribute to the well-being of the communities themselves. The program also seeks to inform the general public, policy-makers, rural schools, and the communities and their members how to become more effective in public policy deliberation. The program's advocacy, research, and publications focus on four major issues: standards and assessments; educational equity; school facilities; and school governance.