Improving
Student
Learning
Looking Beyond
the Traditional
School Model
KRISTEN UPPERCUE
From teachers’ strikes to new legislation, education has been
a hot topic in West Virginia for the last few years. With a high
school graduation rate of 90.2 percent for 2017-2018, West
Virginia currently ranks above the national average, according
to the West Virginia Department of Education. However, in
rural communities where funding is sparse, the school systems
tend to suffer, which trickles down and affects the students’
retention and education experiences.
These challenges are not solely found in West Virginia—
they are common problems in all of rural America. Roscoe,
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WEST VIRGINIA EXECUTIVE
TX; Vicksburg, MS; and Nashville, TN, have implemented
college- and career-focused programs to help their rural
communities address these issues that are applicable in the
Mountain State. In fact, the P20 program out of Roscoe has
been modified to West Virginia’s needs and implemented in
Boone County, where it is already making a difference. If
tailored to West Virginia’s specific needs, the efforts in Vicks-
burg and Nashville could provide blueprints for additional
programs that would help push the Mountain State’s school
systems toward success.