Space and Place in Rural Program Implementation

Ann Allen,J Kessa Roberts

doi:10.35608/ruraled.v40i1.531

Abstract

Employing concepts of place and space, we consider the implementation of Early College initiatives in two small school districts in Ohio, situated in very different regions of the state. One is a rural district near the foothills of Appalachia, and the other is a small town district on the shores of Lake Erie. The paper examines data collected through a state-wide evaluation project. Our analysis suggests that where a school is located matters to the kinds of resources, opportunities and constrains it has for implementing state programs. Resources like transportation, access to college partners, and even proximity to other school districts made important differences to how these school districts implemented the Early College program. Given the variable conditions of school districts in Ohio and other states with a large number of rural and small city school districts, state policy makers should consider flexible implementation plans and variable levels of support.

Highlights

College is an initiative aimed at decreasing the financial burden of college for underserved populations by providing students opportunities to gain college credit while they are still in high school
As part of a larger evaluation of the Race to the Top initiatives in Ohio (Stringfield, et al, 2017; Allen & Roberts, 2017), we investigated the implementation of Early College in two small school districts located in different regions in the state
It was clear in our analysis that both space and place played a role in how Early College developed in the two school districts, including the opportunities and challenges districts faced in the implementation of the program

Summary

Introduction

College is an initiative aimed at decreasing the financial burden of college for underserved populations by providing students opportunities to gain college credit while they are still in high school. As part of a larger evaluation of the Race to the Top initiatives in Ohio (Stringfield, et al, 2017; Allen & Roberts, 2017), we investigated the implementation of Early College in two small school districts located in different regions in the state. How schools are situated within a particular environment makes a difference in how state programs and policies are implemented In this way we see that a school’s location affects how programs like Early College develop within particular environments. We found that the implementation of Early College has the potential to affect school as a place of learning and how students experience schooling

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