“Additional Learning Opportunities in Rural Areas: Needs, Successes, and Challenges”
Expanded learning opportunities, such as “inter-sessions,” longer school days, after-school programs, and longer school years, should be used to help disadvantaged students not only in cities but also in rural areas, where students from low-income families are even less likely to complete high school, says a report from the Center for American Progress, a Washington-based think tank.
Rural schools face particular challenges in providing additional learning time for students, such as a lack of resources and professional-development opportunities for staff members. Extending the school day or year will not be feasible, the report says, without more state and federal funding. The report highlights examples of successful programs in rural areas and recommends key components of those programs.