Working for social justice in rural schools: A model for science education

One-third of all U.S. school children attend school in rural settings. Rural schools are much poorer than urban America, with most of the poorest counties in the United States located in rural areas. Equity is a concern not only in terms of race, class, gender, disability, and sexual orientation, but also in terms of being geographically located in a rural area. Rural teachers are often not certified in their teaching areas, with one in four rural science teachers lacking in academic preparation or certification. This article describes the K20 Oklahoma Science Initiative for Rural Schools that targets low-income, rural schools serving diverse populations in Oklahoma. The K20 Initiative helps reduce the professional, cultural, and social isolation and lack of professional development in rural schools. The objectives of the initiative are to improve teacher quality and student success through three research-based strategies which are described in the article.