Students at Risk in Poor, Rural Areas: A Review of the Research.

The purpose ofthis report is to review the research on ruraleducation and at-risk students in order to determine what the literature reveals about thecombined influence of poverty and community type (in this case rural communities) on placing students at risk. Wefirst compare outcomesfor students in poor, rural schools withoutcomesfor students in poor, urban schools in order to determinewhetherpoverty alone affects student outcomes, or whether location also plays a role. Next, we explore the ways in which rural location andpoverty may put students at risk ofeducationalfailure. We draw some preliminary conclusions about students in poor, rural schools, and make anumberofresearch recommenda­ tions for the National Institute on the EducationofAt-Risk Students in the area ofrural education.