Preparing Teachers to Teach in Rural Schools. Issues & Answers. REL 2008-No. 045

The Central Region states have greater percentages of rural students and schools than the U.S. average. This report describes how nine teacher preparation programs in the region prepare their graduates for teaching positions in rural settings. The study found that, of 120 institutions in the Central Region that offer teacher preparation, only 17 confirmed a rural program emphasis, and only 9 have three or more of the components. Three of the nine programs offer options for teachers to receive multiple certifications. Seven of the nine programs offer online courses and four offer courses at more accessible community college campuses. Four of the nine programs recruit students from rural communities. Two of the nine programs actively seek student teaching placements in rural schools (however, seven of the nine are based in rural areas and naturally have access to rural school placements). Researchers confirmed the presence of five rural-focused program components in 17 of the 28 four-year teacher preparation institutions in the Central Region: (1) options for obtaining multiple certifications; (2) access to teacher preparation for those living in rural areas; (3) efforts to recruit to teaching residents from rural settings; (4) the use of rural schools for practice-teaching placements; and (5) the availability of online courses for rural teachers. Nine Central Region teacher preparation programs, described in this report, had three or more of these components. The primary audiences for this report are the Central Region commissioners of education, other state policymakers, and administrators of teacher preparation programs who are considering adding or sharpening a focus on preparing rural teachers. Appended are research method, sample, and limitations and an interview protocol.(Contains 5 tables, 1 box, and 7 notes.) [This report was prepared for the Institute of Education Sciences (IES) by Regional Educational Laboratory Central administered by Mid-continent Research for Education and Learning.]