Download Report: Digital Learning Strategies for Rural America: A Scan of Policy and Practice in K-12 Education

Digital Learning Strategies for Rural America:

A Scan of Policy and Practice in K-12 Education

Foreword

For many, discussions of rural America can summon images of rolling farmland, two-lane roads stretching on for miles, community picnics, and baseball. This nostalgia runs in stark contrast to the contemporary phenomenon of “rural America as political football” playing out on television screens each night—unemployment,
addiction, hopelessness.

Whether you subscribe to the Mayberry or the Beattyville concept of rural life, there is a common trait shared between them—that a high-quality education can open a world of opportunities to their children.

Just as Canada responded to the educational needs of remote students throughout its Provinces— rst through correspondence courses, today through online courses—the United States, too, has begun to level the playing eld of quality curricula and educational opportunities for students across the country via digital learning.

State-led initiatives to bring broadband access to schools regardless of location, the creation of high-quality open educational resources, and greater awareness of innovative course access programs have all contributed to the academic achievement and future prosperity of today’s rural students.

This report explores the many ways rural states and schools are integrating digital learning into their portfolio of educational opportunities to secure a better future for their children and communities.

Amy Valentine

Executive Director
The Foundation for Blended and Online Learning