A summary of the report, “Peak Experiences: Raising Aspirations and Educational Achievement of Rural Youth in Adirondack Communities,” is posted by the Foundation for Excellent Schools.
High schools that participated in a two-year program to motivate rural students to attend college saw a rise in the number of students going on to postsecondary education, according to a report.
Produced by the Cornwall, Vt.-based Foundation for Excellent Schools, the study examined 12 high schools from 10 counties in upstate New York. It found that some schools increased the number of students attending college by as much as 32 percent between the graduating classes of 2002 and 2004. The program, Adirondack Excellent Schools Program, was developed by the Foundation for Excellent Schools.
Among other recommendations, the report makes suggestions for rural educators such as establishing mentorship programs between youths and local colleges; turning athletic rivalries between high schools into contests for academic achievement; offering special seminars for high school seniors so that they are prepared for college life; and starting clubs for rural youths to give them opportunities to play roles in improving their communities.
