The Rural Context and Secondary School Enrollment: An Ecological Systems Approach

This study uses an ecological systems framework to examine how indicators of individual, family, and school contexts are associated with post-secondary educational enrollment among a sample of rural youth. Structural equation modeling allows us to examine both direct and indirect effects of these contexts on school enrollment. Unique elements of the rural context lead us to expect associations between the family and school contexts and post-secondary school enrollment that differ from prior studies of urban youth. Findings of the current study are that: 1) contrary to existing studies of urban youth, indicators of family income and relationship with parents have only a small significant association with post-secondary school enrollment; 2) indicators of the school context have strong direct associations with student grades, aspirations, and self efficacy; and 3) the school context is a strong mediator in predicting post-secondary school enrollment. Implications for the existing research literature are discussed. Over half of the school districts in the United States are located in rural areas, approximately one third of schools themselves are rural, and over 20% of the nation's students are educated in rural schools (Provasnik et al., 2007). In addition, rural schools overall are experiencing enrollment growth while non-rural schools overall are experiencing a decline, and Pennsylvania ranks sixth in the population of students attending rural schools (Johnson & Strange, 2008). These enrollment demographics underscore the significance of the number of youth attending rural schools in Pennsylvania and elsewhere. One unfortunate distinguishing feature of rural students is their longstanding trend of lower educational aspirations, achievement, and attainment compared to youth in other residential areas (Beaulieu, Israel, & Wimberly, 2003; Blackwell & McLaughlin, 1999; Gibbs, 2004; Lichter, McLaughlin, & Cornwell, 1995; Provasnik et al., 2007). Lower rural educational outcomes may be due in part to certain resource deficits shared by schools located in rural communities. These resource deficits include a high number of students who are in poverty, district financial distress, and tough competition for highly qualified teachers (Jimerson, 2003; Johnson & Strange, 2008; Roscigno, Tomaskovic-Devey, & Crowley, 2006). Unique rural family contexts may also play an important role. Whatever the causes of lower rural educational outcomes, individual well-being is impacted by educational achievement, as is the well-being of rural communities since economic development requires a well trained and educated work force (Barkley, Henry, & Li, 2005; Dwyer & Findeis, 2008; Gibbs, 2004; Howley, Harmon, & Leopold, 1996; Lyson, 2005). For these reasons, it is important to understand the factors that lead to post-secondary educational enrollment among students who have attended rural high schools. The process of how family, school and individual characteristics influence post-secondary school enrollment has received little attention when it comes to rural youth. Our findings will add to the literature by focusing on a rural sample. For this research, we utilize structural equation models to investigate predictors of rural youth post-secondary school enrollment one year post high school. Education is a process that involves more than the influence of schools, and for that reason this study uses an ecological systems framework to examine post-secondary school enrollment among a sample of rural youth. Within this framework we focus on how family characteristics, school context, and individual factors relate to student enrollment. Structural equation models identify the direct, as well as the mediating, or indirect, processes that lead to post-secondary school enrollment. Specifically, we examine the relationships among: 1) family characteristics including parental income, parental education, and youth bonds to their parents; 2) student perception of their school of climate, and; 3) individual characteristics including self efficacy, student grades, educational aspirations, and gender in predicting post-secondary school enrollment. …