Rural schools unite to make college the rule, rather than the exception

Turning around struggling high schools is the toughest work in education reform. Research found that a $3.5 billion federal program meant to fix the nation’s lowest performing schools – which focused disproportionately on high schools – did little to improve student achievement. In this three-part series, The Hechinger Report is visiting high schools that have beaten the long odds to learn what’s behind their success in improving graduation rates and sending more students to college.

In this small, rural town situated among the farmland and rolling hills of southeastern Ohio, residents of a certain age worry about the younger generation. They recall a time when industrial jobs provided a solid path to the middle class for those with a high school diploma and a willingness to work hard. They know those days aren’t coming back.

“The mindset 15 to 20 years ago was you could just graduate high school and land a job at one of the factories,” says village mayor Jay Jackson. “But a lot of those jobs have moved on and the ones that are here require some higher education.”

Meadowbrook High School in Byesville, part of the Rolling Hills school district, operates in a county beset by declining population and low-wage jobs. The median household income is

From long shot to reality Collaboration essentialA sense of urgencyInvesting in teachers, too College path more common