K–12 STEM Education and Workforce Development in Rural Areas

_______

Tiffany Neill, Katharine Frase, and Elizabeth T. Cady, Editors

Committee on K–12 STEM Education and Workforce Development in Rural Areas

Board on Science Education

Division of Behavioral and Social Sciences and Education

Consensus Study Report

NATIONAL ACADEMIES PRESS 500 Fifth Street, NW Washington, DC 20001

This activity was supported by a contract between the National Academy of Sciences and the National Science Foundation (49100423C0015). Any opinions, findings, conclusions, or recommendations expressed in this publication do not necessarily reflect the views of any organization or agency that provided support for the project.

International Standard Book Number-13: 978-0-309-73004-4
International Standard Book Number-10: 0-309-73004-X
Digital Object Identifier: https://doi.org/10.17226/28269
Library of Congress Control Number: 2025934036

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Suggested citation: National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2025. K–12 STEM Education and Workforce Development in Rural Areas. Washington, DC: National Academies Press. https://doi.org/10.17226/28269.

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COMMITTEE ON K–12 STEM EDUCATION AND WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT IN RURAL AREAS

KATHARINE FRASE (Cochair), Vice President of Business Development, IBM (retired)

TIFFANY NEILL (Cochair), Research Scientist, University of Washington

JUAN-CARLOS AGUILAR, Director for Innovative Programs and Research, Georgia Department of Education

BRADLEY S. BARKER, Professor and Youth Development Specialist, Nebraska 4-H Extension, University of Nebraska–Lincoln

GLORIA BURNETT, Associate Professor, College of Health, Department of Human Services, University of Alaska–Anchorage

LINDA FURUTO, Professor of Mathematics Education, University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa

REBEKAH HAMMACK, Assistant Professor of Science Education, Purdue University

ERIC J. JOLLY, President and CEO, St. Paul and Minnesota Foundation

JOHN P. MCNAMARA, Professor of Animal Sciences (emeritus), Washington State University

AUDREY MEADOR, Assistant Professor of Mathematics, West Texas A&M University

DARRIS R. MEANS, Professor of Educational Leadership, Clemson University

STEPHEN L. PRUITT, President, Southern Regional Education Board

JESSICA SAMPLEY, Academies and Career and Technical Education Director, Gulf Shores City Schools, Gulf Shores, Alabama

GUAN SAW, Associate Professor, School of Educational Studies, Claremont Graduate University

MARA CASEY TIEKEN, Associate Professor of Education, Bates College

Study Staff

ELIZABETH T. CADY, Study Director

AUDREY WEBB, Program Officer

LETICIA GARCILAZO GREEN, Associate Program Officer

LACHELLE THOMPSON, Senior Program Assistant

HEIDI SCHWEINGRUBER, Board Director

BOARD ON SCIENCE EDUCATION

SUSAN R. SINGER (Chair), President, St. Olaf College

SUE ALLEN, Senior Research Scientist, Maine Mathematics and Science Alliance

MEGAN BANG, Professor of Learning Sciences and Psychology, Northwestern University

VICKI L. CHANDLER, Provost, Minerva Schools at Keck Graduate Institute

KIRSTEN ELLENBOGEN, President and CEO, Great Lakes Science Center

MAYA M. GARCIA, Science Content Specialist, Colorado Department of Education

DAVID GOLDSTON, Director, MIT Washington Office

G. PETER LAPAGE, Andrew H. and James S. Tisch Distinguished University Professor of Physics (emeritus), Cornell University

WILLIAM PENUEL, Professor of Learning Sciences and Human Development, University of Colorado Boulder

STEPHEN L. PRUITT, President, Southern Regional Education Board

K. RENAE PULLEN, K–6 Science Curriculum Instructional Specialist, Caddo Parish Schools, Louisiana

K. ANN RENNINGER, Dorwin P. Cartwright Professor of Social Theory and Social Action, Swarthmore College

FRANCISCO RODRIGUEZ, Chancellor, Los Angeles Community College District

MARCY H. TOWNS, Bodner-Honig Professor of Chemistry, Purdue University

DARRYL N. WILLIAMS, Senior Vice President, Science and Education, The Franklin Institute

Staff

HEIDI SCHWEINGRUBER, Director

AMY STEPHENS, Associate Director (until December 2024)

BOARD ON AGRICULTURE AND NATURAL RESOURCES

JILL J. MCCLUSKEY (Chair), Regents Professor and Director of the School of Economic Sciences, Washington State University, Pullman

AMY W. ANDO, Professor, University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign

ARISTOS ARISTIDOU, Chief Scientific Officer, Biomason, Inc., Durham, North Carolina

BRUNO BASSO, John A. Hannah Distinguished Professor, Michigan State University, East Lansing

BERNADETTE M. DUNHAM, Professorial Lecturer, George Washington University

JESSICA E. HALOFSKY, Director, Northwest Climate Hub and Forest Service Western Wildland Environmental Threat Assessment Center, USDA Pacific Northwest Research Station, Portland

ERMIAS KEBREAB, Associate Dean of Global Engagement and Director of the World Food Center, University of California, Davis

MARTY D. MATLOCK, Professor, University of Arkansas, Fayetteville

JOHN P. MCNAMARA, Professor Emeritus, Washington State University, Pullman

NAIMA MOUSTAID-MOUSSA, Paul W. Horn Distinguished Professor in Nutritional Sciences and Director of the Obesity Research Institute, Texas Tech University, Lubbock

V. ALARIC SAMPLE, Adjunct Professor, George Mason University

ROGER E. WYSE, Founder and Managing Partner, Spruce Capital Partners, San Francisco

Staff

ROBIN SCHOEN, Director

CAMILLA YANDOC ABLES, Senior Program Officer

MALIA BROWN, Program Assistant

CYNTHIA GETNER, Senior Finance Business Partner

MITCHELL HEBNER, Research Associate

KARA N. LANEY, Senior Program Officer

ALBARAA SARSOUR, Program Officer

SAMANTHA SISANACHANDENG, Senior Program Assistant

COMPUTER SCIENCE AND TELECOMMUNICATIONS BOARD

LAURA M. HAAS (Chair), University of Massachusetts, Amherst

DAVID DANKS, University of California, San Diego

CHARLES ISBELL, University of Wisconsin–Madison

ECE KAMAR, Microsoft Research Redmond

JAMES F. KUROSE, University of Massachusetts, Amherst

DAVID LUEBKE, NVIDIA Corporation

DAWN C. MEYERRIECKS, MITRE Corporation

WILLIAM L. SCHERLIS, Carnegie Mellon University

HENNING SCHULZRINNE, Columbia University

NAMBIRAJAN SESHADRI, University of California, San Diego

KENNETH E. WASHINGTON, Medtronic, Inc.

Staff

JON K. EISENBERG, Senior Board Director

SHENAE A. BRADLEY, Administrative Assistant

RENEE HAWKINS, Finance Business Partner (through May 8, 2024)

THƠ H. NGUYỄN, Senior Program Officer

GABRIELLE M. RISICA, Program Officer

AARYA SHRESTHA, Senior Financial Business Partner

NNEKA UDEAGBALA, Associate Program Officer

Reviewers

This Consensus Study Report was reviewed in draft form by individuals chosen for their diverse perspectives and technical expertise. The purpose of this independent review is to provide candid and critical comments that will assist the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine in making each published report as sound as possible and to ensure that it meets the institutional standards for quality, objectivity, evidence, and responsiveness to the study charge. The review comments and draft manuscript remain confidential to protect the integrity of the deliberative process.

We thank the following individuals for their review of this report:

SUE ALLEN, Allen & Associates, Maine

LEANNE M. AVERY, Department of Elementary Education and Reading, State University of New York at Oneonta

AMY PRICE AZANO, Center for Rural Education, Virginia Tech

DEVON BRENNER, Social Science Research Center, Mississippi State University

PAM J. BUFFINGTON, Rural STEM Initiatives, Education Development Center, Inc.

XIMENA DOMINGUEZ, Learning Sciences and Early Learning Research, Digital Promise Global

LATONIA M. HARRIS, Biologics Launch & Grow, J&J Innovative Medicine

TOM KELLER, STEM Education Strategies, LLC, Maine

JESSE MOON LONGHURST, School of Education, Southern Oregon University

PETER MCLAREN, Next Gen Education, LLC

HELEN R. QUINN, SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory

JEFFREY WELD, STEM Education Executive Consultant, Iowa

BJORN WOLTER, Alaska Department of Education & Early Development, Juneau

Although the reviewers listed above provided many constructive comments and suggestions, they were not asked to endorse the conclusions or recommendations of this report nor did they see the final draft before its release. The review of this report was overseen by ADAM GAMORAN, W.T. Grant Foundation, and CYNTHIA M. BEALL, Case Western Reserve University. They were responsible for making certain that an independent examination of this report was carried out in accordance with the standards of the National Academies and that all review comments were carefully considered. Responsibility for the final content rests entirely with the authoring committee and the National Academies.

Acknowledgments

The Committee on K–12 STEM Education and Workforce Development in Rural Areas faced a charge mandated by Section 10514 of the CHIPS and Science Act of 2022 to evaluate the quality and quantity of federal programming and research for preK–12 STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) education and workforce development in rural areas, assess the impacts on STEM and technical literacy of the scarcity and affordability of broadband in rural communities, and assess the research and data needed to understand the challenges facing and assets able to be leveraged in rural communities to promote STEM learning.

Through a contract with the U.S. National Science Foundation (NSF) mandated in the same section of the CHIPS and Science Act, the committee embarked on the project with the goal of making recommendations to federal, state, and local educational agencies, programs, and other relevant stakeholders to advance STEM education and workforce development for rural America. Additionally, Section 10512 of the same legislation authorizes NSF to support research for innovative approaches to STEM education in rural areas to improve the participation of rural students in STEM-related professions and Section 10513 authorizes NSF to support research for online STEM education and mentoring in rural areas. The committee was tasked with providing recommendations to the NSF regarding both activities.

The committee would like to thank our NSF contracting officer, Michelle Parrott, and her representative, Sarah-Kathryn McDonald. We are also grateful to our technical point of contact, Toni Dancstep, for her responsiveness

and help in navigating the NSF awards database. We also extend thanks to the congressional staffers of the House Committee on Science, Space, and Technology, who recognized the importance of equitable access to high-quality STEM education in rural areas and included both this study and the new authorizing legislation for NSF in the scope of the CHIPS and Science Act.

The committee benefited from the research and experience of many researchers, policymakers, and practitioners across the United States throughout the information-gathering phase of the study. The goal of the first committee meeting in November 2023 was to clarify the statement of task as well as the kinds of recommendations that would be most useful to the entities called out in the charge. We thank the following invited speakers: Pam Buffington (Education Development Center, Inc.), Toni Dancstep (NSF), Albert Hinman (House Science, Space, and Technology Committee), Cate Johnson (House Science, Space, and Technology Committee, Research and Technology Subcommittee), Victoria Rubin (House Science, Space, and Technology Committee), and Josh Seidemann (Rural Broadband Association).

The goal of the second committee meeting, in January 2024, was to get a broad view of the landscape related to (a) state education policy particular to rural communities, (b) broadband connectivity and student outcomes, and (c) demographic trends in and across U.S. rural areas. The committee thanks Shafiq Chaudhary (New Mexico Public Education Department) and Ellen Ebert (Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction, Washington State) for providing information about their particular state contexts pertinent to the charge, as well as Doug Paulson (American Institutes for Research [AIR]) for speaking about pertinent policy and initiatives across state contexts, David Couch (Kentucky Department of Education) and Keith Hampton (Michigan State University) for providing information about student outcomes related to broadband connectivity, Eduard Bartholme and Jessica Campbell (Federal Communications Commission) for speaking to the state of broadband connectivity and affordability in rural areas as well as current federal efforts to advance access in rural areas, and Ken Johnson (University of New Hampshire) and Jesse Longhurst (Southern Oregon University) for providing both high-level quantitative and nuanced qualitative research on demographic trends and how they interact with current state and federal policy structured to funnel funds to rural schools.

The goal of the entirely virtual third committee meeting in March 2024 was to highlight the needs of (a) both in-service and preservice STEM teachers in rural areas and (b) ongoing rural initiatives to support STEM education and workforce development, including those related to online

learning and digital literacy. The committee thanks Patrick Miller (North Carolina East Alliance), Rachel Rosen (MDRC), and Tina Wei Smith (Rural Up! Code Academy) for presenting information about changing STEM workforce needs; Amy Price Azano (Virginia Tech), Abraham Lo (BCSC Science Learning), and Janet Stramel (Fort Hays State University) for discussing research on rural STEM education; and Laurel Ballard (Wyoming Department of Education), Ann Lee Flynn (Center for Digital Government), and Erik Kormos (Ashland University) for discussing online education in rural communities.

To undertake such a large statement of work, the committee commissioned several papers. Dan Aladjem (Policy Studies Associates) took on the monumental task of assessing the quantity of federal programming related to preK–12 STEM education and workforce development in rural areas, as well as examining the quality of several key programs. The committee is grateful for his deep attention to detail, careful methodology, and clarity of results. Doug Paulson (AIR) presented such a robust analysis of state policy and initiatives related to the charge that the committee commissioned him to contribute his analysis in the form of a commissioned paper. The committee is grateful for the examples he was able to highlight. The committee extends thanks to Rachel Rush-Marlow (ResearchEd) for her deep intellectual work that formed the heart of many of the early chapters in this report. She looked at student access and opportunity data for various aspects of K–12 STEM education and workforce development in rural areas to ascertain whether rural students are an underrepresented group in STEM.

Finally, special thanks are due to the staff of this project who together supported the committee in coming to consensus and ushered the report through all its iterations to its current form. Beth Cady, senior program officer for the Board on Science Education (BOSE), directed the study, and was ably assisted by BOSE staff Audrey Webb, program officer, and Leticia Garcilazo Green, associate program officer. Senior program assistants Brittani Shorter (at the beginning of the study) and LaChelle Thompson (after the first committee meeting) managed logistical and administrative needs. BOSE director Heidi Schweingruber provided critical guidance throughout the study.

Staff of the Division of Behavioral and Social Sciences and Education also provided help: Our contracted editor, Cameron Fletcher, substantially improved the readability of the report; Kirsten Sampson Snyder expertly guided the report thought the report review process; and Bea Porter masterfully guided the report through production. The committee also thanks Christopher Lao-Scott in the National Academies Research Center for assistance with literature searches.

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Contents

Acronyms and Abbreviations

Summary

1 Introduction

SCOPE AND FOCUS OF THE REPORT

COMMITTEE’S INTERPRETATION OF THE STATEMENT OF TASK

STUDY APPROACH

STANDARDS OF EVIDENCE

ORGANIZATION OF THE REPORT

REFERENCES

2 Defining and Characterizing Rural America

THE CHALLENGE OF DEFINING RURALITY

Formal Definitions of Rural Populations and Areas

Visualizing Discrepancies

IMPLICATIONS OF THE VARIOUS DEFINITIONS OF RURAL

Consistency and Challenges in Research

Implications for Schools and Districts

Funding Inequity

THE INDEX OF RURALITY: A COMMON DEFINITION FOR RURALITY

CHARACTERISTICS OF RURAL AMERICA

Demographics of Rurality

Spatial Inequities

Rural Workforce

Rural Education

RURAL STEM EDUCATION AND WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT LANDSCAPE

SUMMARY AND CONCLUSIONS

REFERENCES

3 Education Policy, Funding, and Programs in Rural Areas

STEM LEARNING OPPORTUNITIES FOR RURAL STUDENTS

ACCESS TO STEM COURSES IN RURAL SCHOOLS

STEM Teachers

Transitioning to Postsecondary Education or the Workforce

Out-of-School STEM Programs

Informal Learning Opportunities

POLICIES THAT SUPPORT OR LIMIT STEM LEARNING OPPORTUNITIES FOR RURAL STUDENTS

FEDERAL POLICY

Federal Programs

Quality of Federal Programs

Federal Interagency Working Groups

Implications for Federal Policy

SUPPORTING RURAL EDUCATION THROUGH STATE FUNDING AND POLICY

Addressing Rural School Funding Formula Limitations

Innovative State Policies

SUMMARY

REFERENCES

4 National Trends in Rural STEM Education and Workforce Development

STEM ACHIEVEMENT AND ASPIRATIONS AMONG RURAL STUDENTS

Achievement

Aspirations

COURSE TAKING AND PERSISTENCE INTO POSTSECONDARY STEM EDUCATION

STEM Course Taking in K–12

Dual Enrollment, Advanced Placement, and Career and Technical Education

Enrollment and Persistence in Postsecondary Education

Entering the STEM Workforce

ASSETS OF RURAL COMMUNITIES RELATED TO STEM EDUCATION AND WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT

SUMMARY AND CONCLUSION

REFERENCES

5 Effective STEM Learning Experiences and Pathways

WHAT DO PRODUCTIVE LEARNING EXPERIENCES IN STEM LOOK LIKE?

How People Learn in STEM

Effective Instruction

Role of Instructional Materials

LEVERAGING ASSETS OF RURAL COMMUNITIES FOR STEM LEARNING

Leveraging Local Rural Knowledge

Place-Based Learning Experiences

Culturally Competent Instruction

STEM PATHWAYS AND WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT

Building Pathways

Developing and Leveraging Partnerships and Networks

SUMMARY AND CONCLUSIONS

REFERENCES

6 Educator Recruitment, Retention, and Professional Learning

CHALLENGES IN RECRUITING, HIRING, AND RETAINING RURAL EDUCATORS

Geographic Isolation

Salaries

PROFESSIONAL LEARNING OPPORTUNITIES

ASSETS FOR RURAL EDUCATOR RECRUITMENT, RETENTION, AND PROFESSIONAL LEARNING

PROMISING PRACTICES FOR RURAL STEM EDUCATOR RECRUITMENT, RETENTION, AND PROFESSIONAL LEARNING

Preservice Teacher Training for Rural Areas

Grow Your Own (GYO) and Rural Residency Programs

Teacher Recruitment

Teacher Retention

Professional Learning Opportunities

SUMMARY AND CONCLUSIONS

REFERENCES

7 STEM Education and Workforce Development Infrastructure and Materials

INFRASTRUCTURAL AND MATERIALS-BASED CHALLENGES TO STEM EDUCATION IN RURAL SETTINGS

Material Resources

Education Deserts

Broadband Access

Funding

INFRASTRUCTURAL AND MATERIALS-BASED ASSETS FOR STEM EDUCATION IN RURAL COMMUNITIES

PROMISING AND EMERGING STRATEGIES

Research-Practice Partnerships for STEM Learning

Work-Based Experiences for STEM Learning

STEM Learning in Rural Public Libraries

STEM Learning in Outdoor Spaces

Broadband and Technology Access Initiatives

SUMMARY AND CONCLUSIONS

REFERENCES

8 Conclusions, Recommendations, and Research Agenda

THE DIVERSITY OF RURAL AMERICA AND DEFINING RURALITY

FEDERAL AND STATE PROGRAMS AND POLICIES

ACCESS TO AND ENROLLMENT IN STEM COURSES IN RURAL SCHOOLS

STRATEGIES FOR IMPROVING RURAL STEM EDUCATION AND WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT

Learning Experiences and Supportive Pathways

Educators

STEM Education Infrastructure and Materials

Leveraging Assets and Addressing Challenges in Rural K–12 STEM Education

RECOMMENDATIONS TO NSF FOR IMPLEMENTING RURAL STEM EDUCATION AND WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMS

DIRECTIONS FOR RESEARCH

Intersecting Research on PreK–12 STEM Education and Workforce Development in Rural Areas

Better Availability and Usability of Datasets

Informal and Nonformal STEM Learning and Workforce Development in Rural Areas

SUMMARY

Appendix A Biosketches

Appendix B Analysis of Current Federal Funding for Rural STEM Programs and Research

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Boxes, Figures, and Tables

BOXES

1-1 Statement of Task

1-2 Broadband-Related Definitions Used in the Report

5-1 Standards of K–12 STEM Education

6-1 A Rural STEM Teacher’s Experience

FIGURES

2-1 Definitions of rurality used in Indiana

2-2 Criteria used in federal agencies’ and national organizations’ definitions of rurality

2-3 Map of rural U.S. counties according to the Index of Relative Rurality (IRR)

3-1 Number of federal programs for preK–12 education, STEM education, and rural communities

3-2 Number of federal programs for preK–12 education, workforce development, and rural communities

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Acronyms and Abbreviations

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