Leading Education Innovations in Rural Schools: Reflections from i3 Grantees

The Investing in Innovation (i3) Improving Rural Achievement Community, a professional learning community of grantees under the US Department of Education's i3 program, created this document to share knowledge and experiences related to working in rural districts across the United States. Grounded in field-based experiences and lessons, it serves as a guide for researchers, non-profits, and others interested in partnering with rural districts to develop and implement innovations in K-12 schools. A total of 27 rural community participants working across 24 i3 projects contributed content as active participants in focus groups (via webinar), polls, emails, and/or in-person meetings during the guide development process. Following an introduction about why innovations in rural districts and schools matter, four key topics are addressed: (1) relationship-building with rural districts for innovation research and implementation, (2) establishing and maintaining partnerships with rural districts, (3) sustaining innovation in rural communities, and (4) scaling up innovation in rural communities. The document concludes with recommendations that offer encouragement and caution to innovators who seek to design and implement educational innovations in rural places. Five questions are offered to help guide planners toward a successful innovation journey in a rural context. An appendix lists the document's 27 contributors, the organization awarded the i3 grant, the project title, and the purpose of the project. An acknowledgments section identifies the leading contributors and co-writers of the document. [This report was produced by the i3 Improving Rural Achievement Community.]