Leadership That Connects: Strengthening Rural Schools Through Partnerships, Collective
Efficacy, and Community Collaboration
Dr. Paulette Patrice Robinson - Alabama State University
Rural principals often serve as the connective tissue between families, educators,
and the broader community, yet they frequently do so within contexts of limited resources,
staffing shortages, and geographic isolation. This session, grounded in research from
Alabama’s Black Belt school districts, explores how women leaders build bridges across
schools, universities, and local organizations to expand opportunities for rural learners.
Drawing on findings related to principal self-efficacy, this presentation highlights
how collaborative partnerships, shared leadership models, and community-rooted engagement
strategies can transform instructional quality and strengthen school ecosystems. Attendees
will participate in an interactive reflection on their own partnership networks and
leave with actionable strategies for cultivating sustainable, equity-focused collaborations
that amplify rural students' academic and socio-emotional outcomes.
From County to Campus: Strengthening Rural Dual Enrollment Writing Pathways
Mrs. Priscilla Hartley - Copiah-Lincoln Community College
Rural students often arrive in college English courses with significant variations
in writing preparation, digital literacy, and academic expectations; these conditions
contribute to early D/F/W rates and widening equity gaps. Dual enrollment provides
an essential bridge for rural students, but alignment between high school and college
writing instruction can be inconsistent. This session will share an approach using
standardized, community-college-developed template courses in English Composition
I and II to create consistent writing outcomes, assignment scaffolds, and shared assessment
rubrics for dual instructors teaching writing at rural high schools. Through this
model, rural students experience the same writing experiences that they will encounter
when they transition to college. Participants will explore implementation models,
collaborative structures between the college and partner high schools, and faculty
development supports.
Facing the Facts: Understanding the Impact of Rurality on ELA Administrators and Persistence
Mrs. Lisa Blaney - Rowan University
This presentation highlights the recent findings of a qualitative interpretative case
study conducted in 14 fringe rural districts in the state of New Jersey that sought
to understand what specific environmental factors attributed to lower persistence
in rural ELA administrators when implementing a diversified curriculum. The study
specifically looked at the incongruent personality traits of these administrators
in their rural environments using career choice theory and found that internal resistance,
conditional person to environment congruence, and external appeasement were amongst
the most challenging environmental obstacles within the role that deeply impacted
their persistence. This session will outline these findings with more depth and conclude
by offering evidence-based suggestions for how rural ELA administrators can persist
through such barriers without losing themselves in the process.
The Power of Rural Education: Empowering Teacher-Student Relationships
Mrs Lauren Zak-Newton - Calhan School District RJ-1
An inspiring session featuring an experienced and current rural educator who will
share a powerful firsthand account of the profound benefits and joys of teaching in
a rural school setting. This session offers a realistic and thought-provoking exploration
of the vital importance of cultivating, nurturing and sustaining meaningful and authentic
teacher-student relationships. Attendees will gain valuable insights into the transformative
impact these connections have on both students and teachers and how they are the absolute
cornerstone for a successful, empowering, engaging and enriching educational experience.
Don’t miss this opportunity to hear from a passionate teacher who exemplifies the
heart and soul of rural education.
Why Your DILT Isn't Working: The Invisible Dynamics That Undermine Instructional Leadership
in Small Districts
Mr. Calvin Johnson - Schoolworks/DESE
Small rural districts implement District Instructional Leadership Teams (DILT), Professional
Learning Communities (PLCs), and collaborative planning structures, but often struggle
to see meaningful change in instructional practice. The problem isn't the frameworks.
It's the invisible micro-behavioral dynamics that determine whether these structures
actually function. After coaching 50+ district and school leadership teams on implementing
instructional priorities, I've identified three patterns that consistently undermine
distributed leadership in small rural contexts: gaze hierarchy in DILT meetings, selective
retreat in PLCs, and proxy power in learning walks.
From Pedagogy to Andragogy: Let’s Treat Teachers Like Adults
Dr. Susan Wagner - Lincoln Memorial University
This session addresses the common issue of professional development (PD) for educators
relying on pedagogical techniques designed for children, which often fails to respect
the experience, autonomy, and professional judgment of adult learners.
Drawing on principles of adult learning, the session will focus on designing PD that
treats teachers as capable professionals. Key strategies include emphasizing relevance,
authentic classroom problems, purposeful discussion, reflection, and application.
Participants will explore practical ways to replace child-oriented activities (like
icebreakers and games) with alternatives that support adult reasoning, instructional
clarity, and collaborative inquiry, thereby ensuring a tone of professional respect.
Bridging Capacity: Strengthening Teacher Self-Efficacy in Rural Schools Through SEL-Based
Professional Learning
Mrs. Kelli Forster - CABOCES
Understand how teacher self-efficacy influences SEL and student well-being. Explore partnership models that reduce isolation and increase teacher confidence. Identify actionable strategies to implement SEL-focused collaboration in rural settings.
Innovative Approaches to Digital Learning in Rural Schools: Bridging the Digital Divide
for Equitable Education
Dr. Wisdom Mensah - Austin Peay State University
This presentation examines cutting-edge digital learning innovations transforming
rural education landscapes. It explores how tailored digital tools, enhanced internet
connectivity, and teacher training overcome long-standing challenges of limited infrastructure
and resource scarcity in rural schools. By spotlighting regional and global initiatives
that incorporate adaptive technologies, blended learning models, and community partnerships,
the session demonstrates pathways to equitable and engaging education. Emphasizing
practical insights and sustainability, the presentation offers strategies to help
rural schools effectively harness technology, improving student outcomes and closing
educational gaps.
Exploring place and community through primary sources: Tools and strategies for rural
K-12 Classrooms
Dr. Erik Kormos - Ashland University
This session highlights how rural educators can strengthen teaching and learning by
using primary sources from the Library of Congress to honor the stories, people, and
places that shape their communities. Participants will explore strategies for integrating
photographs, maps, oral histories, and archival materials into instruction across
grade levels and content areas. The presentation will model practical approaches that
help students connect national history to local experiences while supporting inquiry,
engagement, and critical thinking. Attendees will leave with adaptable ideas and ready-to-use
resources that make primary sources accessible and meaningful in rural K-12 settings,
regardless of school size or technology capacity.
Why is your school open to the entire community?: Community rituals and rural schools
Dr. Holly Marcolina - SUNY Potsdam
Extracurricular activities in schools often extend beyond seasonal commitments, evolving
into community rituals that carry symbolic meaning across generations. School rituals
connect the present with the past (DeYoung et al., 1995) and carry the weight of tradition
(Miller, 1993, p. 94). Schools and their associated events, as centerpieces of rural
life, have the potential to stand as bulwarks against the destruction of small-town
culture (Salamon, 2003, p. 195). This work is focused on the following research question:
to what extent can a place-based learning lens (Sobel, 2004) be applied to community
rituals involving rural schools?
Locally grounded learning: Youth visual narration as a window into rural place and
identity
Dr. Joanne Pattison-Meek - Bishop's University
In September 2024, a new Culture and Citizenship curriculum was introduced across
the province of Quebec (Canada), offering a rare opportunity to examine how students
in rural communities engage with questions of culture, belonging, and civic identity.
This session draws on a classroom case study in one rural English-language high school
where grade 6 and 7 students explored their rural realities through visual narration.
Using a Photovoice-informed approach, students documented the social, cultural, and
environmental reference points that shaped their growing up rural experiences.
Placing this work in dialogue with a generative theory of rurality, the analysis highlights
how students' images and narratives both affirmed and unsettled dominant framings
of the rural idyll and rural dull. Their photographs reveal rural life as relational
and layered: at once peaceful and isolating, resilient and precarious, rooted in heritage
yet marked by industrial decline. Importantly, students' reflections illustrate how
rural youth interpret (and contest) what it means to grow up in places often overshadowed
in provincial curriculum and urban-centric narratives.
Mapping Memory: Teaching Rural History Through Letters, Landscapes, and Local Voices
Dr. Jessica Morris - New England College
This virtual session explores how rural histories and the communities that hold them
can become powerful anchors for meaningful, place-based curriculum. Drawing on sabbatical
research into World War II letters from Weare, New Hampshire, and on collaborative
work with the Henniker Historical Society on the 12 original school districts, the
presentation demonstrates how archival narratives, schoolhouse history, and local
family stories can be transformed into rich instructional resources for K-12 classrooms.
Strengthening Rural Student Mental Health: A Place-Based Approach for Sustainable
Well-Being
Dr. LeAnn Wills - Austin Peay State University
Rural student mental health is a critical aspect of thriving rural educational ecosystems.
Compared to peers, rural youth often experience higher rates and distinct mental health
needs, yet rural schools are often the primary, if not only, point of access for services.
In this session, we will explore the unique mental health needs of rural students,
like strong relational ties and community resilience, as well as distinct challenges,
including provider shortages. Attendees will explore how infusing honor of local culture,
community values, and land can deepen relationships with students, contribute to emotional
safety, and employ culturally responsive academic and social and emotional strategies.
The Hills are Alive: How the Appalachian Regional Commission (ARC) Builds linkages
among Community Colleges
Michael Parsons - Morgan State U. /Hagerstown Community College
Hagerstown CC (HCC)is an active member of the MD ARC. For the last several decades,
ARC has supported professional development linkages from Pre-K through Higher Education.
These leadership activities have enhanced economic and professional development in
the three Western MD counties that are ARC members. The presentation will be a case
study analyzing the impact on Washington County, MD, and HCC analyzing the potential
for duplication across Appalachia.
Envisioning the Future Social Media and AI: Everyone's Problem, Every School's Challenge
Mrs. Jane Kim - KindEd / Reavis Elementary
Education has not kept pace with how engagement technology is reshaping child development.
Device use is a challenge across generations, yet most children grow up without clear
guardrails or formal education. Students are digital natives whose online experiences
are shaped more by algorithms than by choice, and youth in rural communities face
higher rates of mental health issues and unique challenges with social media use.
This session presents an evidence-based, systems approach to social media and AI literacy.
Participants will explore how technology adoption affects children, school systems,
and families, and how schools can guide use in ways that safeguard health, critical
thinking, and cognitive rigor.
High-Impact Tutoring in 12 Minutes: A Rural District’s Approach to Raising Literacy
Rates
Dr. Gustavo Luna - Harvard Graduate School of Education Kern Tutoring
Rural schools often struggle with persistently low literacy rates, compounded by geographic
isolation that makes it difficult to recruit and retain specialized instructional
professionals. To address these challenges, one rural school district in California’s
Central Valley implemented an innovative intervention model grounded in high-impact
tutoring: micro-tutoring. This approach provides targeted, 12-minute literacy sessions
designed to maximize both in-person staff and virtual tutors, allowing the district
to serve a larger number of students without sacrificing instructional quality.
Breaking the Mold: Recruiting and Inspiring Young Men in Early Childhood and Elementary
Education
Mr. Trevor Newton - Teach and Direct LLC
Less than 3% of early childhood educators are men, but representation matters. Join
Trevor T. Newton to explore why male educators are critical for children’s social-emotional
growth, engagement, and understanding of healthy masculinity in early childhood education
and elementary schools. This session will cover: why men matter in classrooms and
the benefits for children; common barriers men face when entering education; strategies
to recruit, inspire, and support male educators; and real-life stories and practical
actions to build inclusive, balanced classrooms.
Leading the Way- CTE Pathways in the Middle Grades
Dr. Tobi Kilgore - Horace Maynard Middle School (Union County Schools)/Grand Canyon
University)
Join us as we discuss year 3 of Horace Maynard Middle School’s “Vision 26†as
we continue to implement CTE pathways in the middle grades. HMMS offers students numerous
opportunities to explore different CTE pathways that will give them a sample of what
is available in high school and beyond. HMMS offers students a sampling of Agriculture
Science, Sports Performance, Journalism, Health Science, Construction, Teaching as
a Profession, Small Animal Science, Mechatronics, and more! Check out our campus farm,
new school building (opening Fall 2026), and how we plan to continue to advance our
CTE implementation with our partnership with Union County High School and the newly
built TCAT Union County facility. Our offerings have allowed 50+ percent of our 8th
graders to earn at least one high school credit and have almost doubled our achievement
in our most at-risk subgroups by educating our students and families on how education
in the middle connects to CTE pathways in high school and beyond.
