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International teachers in the US primarily fall into two categories: those on J-1 or J-2 visas under the Exchange Visitor Program and those holding employment visas, such as H-1B, EB-2, or EB-3. J-1 and J-2 visas are aimed at cultural and educational exchange. Those who receive them are authorized under the Fulbright-Hays Act of 1961 to teach for up to 5 years with a short-term international teaching certificate before returning to their home countries. Employment visas (H-1B, EB-2, or EB-3) are for specialty occupations, advanced degree holders, or those filling a labor shortage, respectively. International teachers with this visa type are on paths to permanent residency and begin teaching in South Carolina with an initial teaching certificate. From these two categories, J-1 and J-2 visa holders represent the predominant group of international teachers. Given that context, this report offers an in-depth examination of educators possessing an international teaching certificate (i.e., teaching under J-1/J-2 visas) in South Carolina, herein referred to as international teachers. The analysis delves into the demographics and placement of these teachers, alongside exploring how the employment of international teachers correlates with teacher turnover rates.

Alternatively certified teachers constitute a growing portion of public school educators in the U.S. This is a trend that is expected to continue, due to the declining enrollment in traditional teacher preparation programs across recent years. As such, this report examines the profiles of alternatively certified teachers working in South Carolina public schools (those currently enrolled in alternative certification programs and those who have completed them). The analysis delves into the demographics and placements of these teachers and explores how their employment correlates with teacher attrition rates. Altogether, it offers preliminary insights into the roles of alternatively certified educators in the teacher pipeline. In 2022-2023, South Carolina employed 4,757 alternatively certified teachers, including in all 73 traditional school districts, spread relatively evenly across the state's regions. The analysis revealed that most were employed in middle or high schools, rural or suburban areas, and low- or moderate-poverty contexts.

In this study, we highlight the differences in classroom-, teacher-, and school-level factors in 8th and 9th grade algebra experiences along socioeconomic and racial/ethnic lines using nationally representative survey data from the American Mathematics Educator Study. Several takeaways emerge from our analysis. First, we show that highest-poverty schools (i.e., schools in the top poverty quartile) are significantly less likely to offer algebra in 8th grade unconditionally (i.e., without needing to meet certain conditions) for all students or to offer algebra at all compared to lowest-poverty schools (i.e., schools in the lowest poverty quartile). Second, we find significant differences in which factors (e.g., parent requests, teacher referrals) are considered when placing students in advanced math courses in 8th and 9th grade that may affect the access of students from disadvantaged backgrounds to these courses or to more advanced pathways. Third, we show significant differences in 8th and 9th grade math teacher qualifications and classroom activities in math courses, with teachers in highest-poverty schools being significantly more likely to have received alternative credentials, less likely to have completed student-teaching during their preparation program, and less likely to have completed their state's licensure requirements for math. 8th and 9th grade math teachers in highest-poverty schools were also more likely to report that they spend more than half of their instruction time addressing math topics below grade level or addressing disciplinary issues. Mostly similar, albeit weaker, patterns emerge when we examine discrepancies along school racial/ethnic composition. Offering 8th grade algebra in high-poverty school settings (or making it available to more or all students) could help close socioeconomic gaps in algebra enrollment in 8th grade and grant more equitable access to advanced math coursework in the long-run. That said, focusing on the provision of 8th grade algebra alone will likely not remedy the opportunity gaps in access to (and completion of) advanced math courses in high school since our findings suggest that highest-poverty high schools are also significantly less likely to offer college credit-bearing math courses. Further, our findings suggest that increasing the provision of algebra in 8th grade may present three challenges: (1) staffing these courses with qualified teachers; (2) providing strong supports for students who struggle with algebra; and, relatedly, (3) making algebra placement decisions that minimize failure and maximize success for the greatest number of students. Taken together, our findings demonstrate systemic inequities across racial/ethnic and socioeconomic lines in terms of access to, and experiences in, 8th and 9th grade math courses.

Math achievement plays a pivotal role in students' success in school and beyond. Algebra, in particular, serves as a crucial gateway: it increases the chances a student takes advanced math in high school, which has implications for their college and career prospects. In 2023 and 2024, the American Mathematics Educator Study (AMES) surveyed teachers and principals nationwide to learn more about how students access and experience algebra in 8th and 9th grade. A key finding from the surveys: schools serving mostly low-income students are far less likely to offer algebra in 8th grade compared to those serving more affluent students. The surveys also identified other issues that can hinder equitable access to algebra and math education, including: (1) uneven access to qualified math teachers; (2) math instruction that disproportionately focuses on remedial content in disadvantaged communities; (3) limited access to advanced math courses beyond algebra in high-poverty schools; and (4) different approaches to algebra eligibility and achievement grouping (e.g., tracking) that may perpetuate inequity. These systemic inequities--in both opportunities and experiences--suggest that making algebra more available is a necessary but insufficient step towards closing gaps in access to advanced math education. The brief is based on a working paper which examines how America's students access and experience algebra in 8th and 9th grade.

This PACER brief provides RFA's updated analysis of data on students experiencing homelessness in Pennsylvania, highlighting prevalence, challenges with identification, disparities in educational opportunities, and impact on academic outcomes. Our main findings include that: (1) Roughly 2% of students in Pennsylvania were identified as experiencing homelessness in 2021-22, a slight increase from prior years; (2) Pennsylvania has seen a statewide increase in the identification rate of homelessness (the rate of student homelessness/the rate of students in poverty), but continues to rank below the national average, now 30th out of the 50 states; (3) Students experiencing homelessness are heavily concentrated in Pennsylvania's most inadequately funded school districts, which provide fewer educational opportunities, and are increasingly enrolled in cyber charter schools where research has documented consistently poor overall student outcomes; and (4) Pennsylvania's students experiencing homelessness are exhibiting worse academic outcomes compared with all students and other economically disadvantaged students. These findings underscore the urgent need for school leaders and policymakers in Pennsylvania to prioritize new resources and comprehensive strategies to support students experiencing homelessness.

Using data from the National Longitudinal Study of Youth 1997, we examine differences in educational experiences and in social and economic mobility for youths experiencing poverty relative to their more affluent peers. We also explore the extent to which different educational experiences are associated with greater mobility for students experiencing poverty. We find that youths from poverty are less than half as likely as their more affluent peers to earn a living wage, reach the top quartile of income, or attain a high level of economic wellbeing and stability. They also have less educational opportunity in their youth, particularly when it comes to academic experiences. Meanwhile, the educational experiences where there are the largest inequities are also the ones that are most predictive of long-term mobility for students from poverty, suggesting that having the opportunity to do well in school may help young people improve their economic standing and achieve broader levels of wellbeing later in life. At the same time, students experiencing poverty who have exceptional academic outcomes on average still do not manage to exceed the average adult income of the typical student not coming from poverty. Altogether, our findings point to both the importance and inadequacy of academic experiences for breaking the cycle of intergenerational poverty.

SC TEACHER's research mission includes publishing yearly reports that detail the South Carolina educator workforce, sharing insights with educators themselves, policymakers, community members, and other stakeholders. This report is an annual review of the state's public school teacher workforce. Analysis in this study uses statewide data from 2022-23, plus available data from published reports, to compare the demographics of South Carolina's teacher workforce with that of other states and nationwide. This report also provides a longitudinal view of state trends by examining data over three academic years from 2020-21 to 2022-23. Results are based on analysis of data collected from 54,106 South Carolina teachers with positions categorized as regular classroom teachers (PK-12 grades), special education (self-contained, resource, or itinerant), and retired teachers.

Significant racial and ethnic achievement gaps exist between students in the U.S. by elementary school, although the underlying causes for these achievement gaps differ. One factor for racial/ethnic achievement gaps is between-group differences in socioeconomic status (SES), particularly exposure to poverty. Moreover, other factors contributing to racial and ethnic achievement gaps include bias, cultural insensitivity, stereotypes, and individual and systemic racism. This study examines the extent to which socioeconomic factors explain gaps in reading, mathematics, and science achievement among racial and ethnic groups of U.S. elementary students. Four macro- and eleven micro-level measures of family background are used to identify factors that best explain these achievement gaps, and analyses include descriptive statistics and regression models. Findings suggest that students' SES and home factors help to explain initially observed racial and ethnic achievement gaps. In many cases, the analyzed SES+ factors explain more than half of racial and ethnic achievement gaps. Closing these gaps requires a comprehensive approach, including improving school quality and supporting family stability. As essential steps toward equity, the authors recommend investments in early childhood education and income supplements, such as expanding child tax credits.

This is the executive summary for the report "Roll Call: A Landscape Review of the Students, Financing, and performance of Milwaukee's K-12 Schools." The report takes stock of the changes that have occurred in the city's overall "system" of schools, including student enrollment and demographics, financing, and outcomes. Key observations from the report's analysis are provided.

This report arrives during a time of heightened scrutiny and civic engagement. While public attention is currently trained primarily on Milwaukee Public Schools (MPS), this research encompasses the whole of the city's education system, marking both commonalities and differences between different types of publicly funded schools. It highlights financial aspects of the system but also expands the discussion to include student enrollment and outcomes. The report is organized into three major sections: Milwaukee's Students and Schools, covering the basic schooling options available to students along with student enrollment and demographic trends; School Funding in Milwaukee, outlining the core funding mechanisms and their funding levels for schools in the city; and Student Outcomes and School Performance, summarizing broad trends in Milwaukee's academic results. The report concludes with key insights for the consideration of both policymakers and the public. It is hoped the report's findings ground both current and future policy discussions with important facts and nonpartisan insights. The authors further intend to inform those discussions with a second report this fall, which will highlight promising K-12 practices and innovations occurring both within Milwaukee and nationally.

Each year, SC TEACHER publishes different workforce profiles, sharing details and demographics around South Carolina educators for a better understanding of our public school workforce. Among these publications, this report is the first to examine the state's school "administrator" workforce. The analysis in this report uses statewide data from 2022-23, as well as available data from published research, to compare South Carolina's administrator workforce with the overall national administrator workforce and that of other states. This report also provides a longitudinal view of state trends by comparing data across three academic years from 2020-21 to 2022-23. State data were collected for 3,388 South Carolina administrators with positions categorized as either principal or assistant principal.

Teacher turnover is a perennial concern, especially in low-performing, high-poverty schools. While districts and schools may try to anticipate and mitigate turnover by surveying teachers about their future plans, existing research on whether teacher-reported intent is predictive of actual turnover behavior is mixed. Using unique survey data from teachers in 35 low-performing, high-poverty districts in Michigan linked at the teacher level to statewide administrative data, we are able to measure turnover behavior one, two, and three years following reported intent. We find that intent is a significant predictor of turnover and becomes increasingly predictive over time. We also find organizational commitment and school organizational conditions are important factors in teachers' intent and, to a lesser degree, actual turnover behavior.

This report emphasizes the importance of state actions in improving educational opportunities for historically marginalized students, particularly those with disabilities. It highlights the existing achievement gaps and challenges faced by students with disabilities, especially those from minority groups. The report suggests that states have a critical role in strengthening charter schools' capacity to meet the needs of students with disabilities, but it also points out that the current state actions in this area have been limited, primarily focusing on ensuring compliance with laws rather than addressing resource gaps or improving educational outcomes.

We study changes to teacher working conditions from 2016-17 to 2022-23, covering school years before, during, and after the COVID pandemic. We show working conditions were improving leading into the pandemic but declined when the pandemic arrived. Perhaps more surprisingly, the pandemic was not a low point: teacher working conditions have continued to decline during the post-pandemic period. Teachers report worsening working conditions along many dimensions including the level of classroom disruptions, student responsibility, and safety, among others. They also report declines in trust between themselves and principals, parents, and other teachers. Trends in working conditions since the pandemic are similar in schools serving more and less socioeconomically advantaged students. However, schools in districts where online learning was the predominant mode of instruction during the 2020-21 school year have experienced larger declines than other schools.

The COVID-19 pandemic has presented numerous challenges to students across the United States, particularly those who are parents enrolled in community colleges. California's community college system serves a diverse student population, including a significant number of non-traditional, working adults who are also parents. These students have faced unprecedented challenges due to the pandemic, including the difficulties of balancing childcare responsibilities with academic and professional obligations. This paper summarizes the preliminary findings of a study that intends to contribute to the crucial conversation around childcare needs among community college students. The focus of this study was understanding the experiences of BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, People of Color) mothers with young children and the impact of COVID-19 on their educational experiences in community colleges across the state of California.

This chartbook is the 14th version to be produced for the Appalachian Regional Commission (ARC) by the Population Reference Bureau (PRB). The Chartbook describes the diversity of the Appalachian Region on a host of demographic and economic measures and provides an important annual view of the area and its people. The data contained in the 2018-2022 Chartbook describe how residents in the Appalachian Region were faring before and during the COVID-19 pandemic that began in March 2020. Nearly half of the years during this time period were pre-pandemic and half were during the pandemic era. Thus, this Chartbook is a blend of these two eras. As future data releases reflect the post-pandemic era, data users will have additional insights on the long-term changes that the pandemic brought to Appalachia's social and economic dynamics. Most of the data shown here come from the 2018-2022 American Community Survey (ACS), a nationwide study collected continuously every year in every county in the United States by the U.S. Census Bureau. The ACS is designed to provide communities with reliable and timely demographic, social, economic, and housing data each year. To provide as much county-level data as possible, we use ACS 5-year data files which provide reliable estimates for geographic areas with fewer than 20,000 people. Since many counties in the Appalachian Region have fewer than 20,000 residents, these data permit comparable statistics for all 423 counties in the Region. The primary purpose of the ACS is to measure the changing characteristics of the U.S. population in a way that is continually updated. The estimates in this Chartbook, therefore, are data collected over the five-year (or 60-month) period from January 2018 through December 2022. These ACS estimates are not averages of monthly or annual values, but rather an aggregation of data collected continuously over that time period.

Attracting and retaining high-quality teachers is a pressing policy concern. Increasing teacher salaries and creating more attractive compensation packages are often proposed as a potential solution. Signed into law in March 2023, the LEARNS Act increased Arkansas's minimum teacher salary from $36,000 to $50,000, guaranteed all teachers a minimum raise of $2,000, and added flexibility allowing school districts to deviate from seniority-based traditional salary schedules. To study school districts' adjustments to the new legislation, we collected information about districts' teacher compensation policies one year before and the first year of implementation. We also integrated this data with teachers' administrative records to study patterns of teacher retention and mobility. Our results reveal a more equitable distribution of starting teacher salaries across districts, with minimal variation. The LEARNS Act notably increased funding for rural and high-poverty districts, mitigating the negative association between starting salaries and district poverty rates. However, the initial effects on teacher retention and mobility were modest. While some positive trends emerged, such as reduced probabilities of teachers transitioning to non-instructional roles and increased new teacher placement in geographic areas of shortage, broader impacts on retention and mobility were limited in the first year of implementation.

In total, the American Rescue Plan (ARP) provided $122 billion in federal pandemic relief for schools and their efforts to address students' learning recovery. A lifeline for schools, this funding has allowed for critical investments, including the expansion of afterschool and summer learning opportunities. Given the opportunity ARP Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief (ARP ESSER) funds presented, how have rural districts invested in afterschool and summer programming for students? This report presents five key findings about rural school districts' ARP ESSER spending based on a review of 1,993 rural school district plans.

Boosting literacy among school-age children remains a national priority. Nearly one third of students in the United States have not developed the foundational reading skills needed to succeed academically, with students living in poverty, students with disabilities, and English learners especially at risk. Starting in 2010, Congress invested more than $1 billion for state literacy improvement efforts through the Striving Readers Comprehensive Literacy (SRCL) program. SRCL was intended to focus funding on disadvantaged schools, encourage schools to use evidence-based practices, and support schools and teachers in providing comprehensive literacy instruction. These efforts were expected to lead to improved literacy outcomes for students. This study assesses how well SRCL implementation was aligned with these goals, using information collected from states, districts, and schools in all 11 states awarded grants in 2017.

It is well understood that when students are experiencing hunger, their ability to learn suffers. What is less understood is why this is the case and the role of the learning environment. Using Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS) 2019 data, this brief examines how student hunger is correlated with how disorderly the classroom environment is during math lessons. Even though the data does not allow the unpacking of why students come to school hungry, the authors found a consistent relationship between hunger and disorderly classroom environment, without any exception, across 38 TIMSS 2019 participating countries. This relationship holds even after controlling differences in student and classroom socioeconomic status, class size, teacher experience, and educational attainment. These findings suggest that when students come to school hungry, they have a harder time paying attention and regulating their behavior. This can result in a disorderly and less effective learning environment for all students, even those not experiencing hunger.

In 2021-2022, Head Start served nearly 790,000 young children, primarily from low-income families. However, the Department of Health and Human Services' (HHS) estimates that far more children are eligible than can be served due to limited resources, heightening the importance of targeting services effectively. House Report 117-96 includes a provision for the Government Accountability Office (GAO) to review the nationwide distribution of Head Start resources and what could help better align funding with need. This report examines the extent to which: (1) Head Start resources align geographically with child poverty; (2) statutory provisions support aligning resources with need; and (3) Office of Head Start (OHS), uses its grantmaking authority to align resources with need. GAO analyzed Head Start enrollment data from 2022 and Head Start funding and Census child poverty data from 2006 and 2021 (most recent available comparable data), interviewed OHS officials and stakeholder organizations, such as the National Head Start Association; and reviewed relevant federal laws and agency documents.

This is the executive summary for the full report, "Crossing the Line: Segregation and Resource Inequality between America's School Districts." School funding debates in the United States tend to center on how much money school districts should receive, and through what policies and formulas. But they almost never focus on the district map, even though district borders do a great deal to determine the funding of each school system. School district boundaries don't just define the area where a certain group of children attends a given set of schools. They also determine the taxing jurisdiction that supports those schools with local property taxes. Big differences in property value can lead to large funding gaps, even between neighboring districts. This report looks at neighboring school systems and the borders that separate them. It examined 24,658 pairs of adjacent districts and measured the divides between them in two ways. First, to measure economic segregation between neighboring districts, it compared their poverty rates among school-aged children, and identified the 100 borders that mark the greatest differences in poverty rates. Second, it looked at the differences in racial composition between adjacent districts by comparing their percentages of enrolled students of color, and identified the 100 borders that create the greatest differences by this measure.

School district boundaries define more than just the area where a certain group of children attends a given set of schools. They also determine the taxing jurisdiction that supports those schools with local property taxes. Big differences in property value can lead to large funding gaps, even between neighboring districts. These disparities in property values are the legacy of discriminatory housing policies explicitly intended to segregate neighborhoods by race and class. The school district lines drawn onto this divided landscape then replicate segregation and inequity in schools. But our current district borders need not be permanent. They can be redrawn to produce better outcomes for students and their schools. In a new research report, New America's Education Funding Equity Initiative analyzes nearly 25,000 pairs of adjacent school districts to measure how district borders create deep economic and racial divisions, producing radically different educational resources and experiences for students in different districts--even districts that are right next door to each other. It also features stories about these disparities told by local educators and families. An accompanying multimedia story shows what these divides mean for American school districts and communities, and an interactive national map and data tool allows users to explore American school districts and the borders that surround them.

To better understand teacher retention in South Carolina, this report investigates longitudinal trends, as well as the relationship between school-level factors and one-year and three-year average teacher retention rates at the start of the 2022-23 academic year. Results are based on analysis of data collected from 1,267 public schools in 80 school districts across South Carolina. This report explores four key questions: (1) what are the trends in teacher retention rates across all South Carolina schools over the last six years?; (2) what are the relationships between South Carolina teacher retention rates and school-level factors?; (3) how do South Carolina teacher retention rates differ by school organization level, and how do these rates vary over time?; and (4) how do South Carolina teacher retention rates within organizational levels (elementary, middle, high) differ by: (a) school poverty level; (b) length of principal's tenure; and (c) geographical locale?

Since 1997, Advocates for Children of New Jersey (ACNJ) has published the Newark Kids Count Data Book, a one-stop source for child well-being data on the state's largest city. Newark Kids Count includes the latest statistics, along with five-year trend data, in the following areas: demographics, family economic security, child health, child protection, child care, education, and teens.

State law requires the Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction (OSPI) to annually report to the Legislature the number of schools participating in the U.S. Department of Agriculture's (USDA) Community Eligibility Provision (CEP). The report must identify barriers to participation and make recommendations to increase participation. The CEP allows schools with high numbers of students identified as low-income to serve free breakfast and lunch to all students without collecting school meal applications. CEP is available to public, private, and tribal schools. House Bill (HB) 2660, passed during the 2022 Legislative Session (Revised Code of Washington (RCW) 28A.235.300), requires participation in the CEP for all eligible schools. The law also directs school districts to group schools that are not eligible individually with eligible schools to increase the number of schools participating in CEP. As a result, over half of the total student population in Washington state now attends a CEP school. This legislation also addressed a number of the potential drawbacks of CEP participation, including school- and district-level fiscal concerns.

Chicago Public Schools (CPS)--like many school districts--faces challenges. These include declining enrollment, budgetary pressures, pandemic-associated learning losses, and the need to staff schools with educators and administrators who can meet the diverse needs of students and families. CPS is also grappling with a changing policy environment. In 2024, the city will begin shifting to a larger school board, whose members will be elected instead of appointed by the mayor. Federal COVID-19 relief funds are running out. And a moratorium on school closures in the city is set to expire in 2025. Amid these challenges and opportunities, Public Agenda, with support from the Joyce Foundation, set out to take stock of Chicago residents' priorities for their public schools. The goal is to help city and district leaders and other stakeholders make decisions that are informed by Chicagoans' concerns and aspirations. Findings are based on a representative survey of 2,127 adult residents of Chicago. In brief, Public Agenda's survey finds that Chicagoans think the biggest problem in the city's public schools is that students are not learning enough academically. The majority of Chicagoans think politicians and educational leaders are focused on petty political battles instead of what is best for students, and few are confident that the CPS budget is spent effectively. To improve schools, Chicagoans favor training teachers and principals, replacing underperforming teachers, and demanding that schools implement improvement plans. Parents want CPS to prioritize spending on tutors and classroom aides to support academically struggling students. As the city prepares to elect school board members for the first time, less than half believe that an elected school board will better serve students. This report highlights instances in which there are differences of opinion between parents and nonparents and differences of opinion by race/ethnicity or across neighborhoods in Chicago.

Seven decades after the landmark U.S. Supreme Court case "Brown vs. Board of Education," Michigan students of color continue to face devastating educational inequities in deeply under-resourced public schools. Today, they are far more likely to be enrolled in Michigan public schools with the highest concentrations of poverty, where they are more likely, on average, to face vastly different opportunities than do their affluent White peers in the state's wealthiest school districts, according to the newly-released 2024 State of Michigan Education Report, "Brown's Hope: Fulfilling the Promise in Michigan," by The Education Trust-Midwest. Today a coalition of diverse leaders across the state are launching a new campaign to call attention to not only decades of neglect to Black, Latino/a students and students from low-income backgrounds -- and the resources and supports their public schools need and deserve -- but also to the urgent need to address profound pandemic learning losses that students who are underserved were especially hard hit by. For decades, Michigan did not have a mechanism to address the legacy of racial and socio-economic segregation in our state's public schools. Today, we do -- and we have a responsibility to use it. State legislators can do just that by investing fairly in the state's new Opportunity Index, a historic new funding change that became law in 2023. The new "Opportunity for All" campaign includes a publicly accessible website, where Michiganders can compare how much more their local school district would receive if the state invested in students from low-income backgrounds at the same level as Massachusetts, the nation's leading education state. The campaign's new website also offers new tools to allow Michiganders to see the difference it would make in their own local school districts if Michigan fully funded its current long-term goals for investing in students from low-income backgrounds. Among the findings cited in the new report: (1) This year nearly half of all Michigan students of color and two-thirds of all Black students in Michigan attend public school in districts with high concentrations of poverty where 73% or more of the students come from economically disadvantaged backgrounds, compared to only 13% of Michigan's White students learning in those same school districts; (2) Michigan students in districts with the highest concentrations of poverty are much less likely to be in classrooms with highly experienced teachers who are, on average, more likely to be effective. Research shows that teachers are the single most important in-school factor related to student success, highlighting the critical need for effective teachers in all classrooms; and (3) School funding disparities undermine higher-poverty districts' capacity to support their students' educational recovery from the pandemic. Had Michigan returned to its 2006 school funding levels by 2016, our state would have invested 20 percent more -- or $22 billion dollars more -- on K-12 public education between 2016 and 2021. High-poverty districts bear the brunt of that lack of investment. Michigan has an opportunity now to ensure public education far better serves all students, especially Black and Latino/a children and children from low-income backgrounds, who have been underserved for too long.

Rural America has long been perceived as "left behind" by policies that leave it struggling while benefiting bustling urban cities and suburbs. That narrative holds some truth: rural America has a declining population, along with lower educational attainment and lower workforce participation than urban America. But while rural America certainly faces challenges, it also has its own strengths and assets. "Small Towns, Big Opportunities: Many Workers in Rural Areas Have Good Jobs, but These Areas Need Greater Investment in Education, Training, and Career Counseling" counters some of the negative stereotypes and finds that working adults in rural America are almost as likely (50 percent) as working adults in urban America (54 percent) to have a good job.