The Poor Little Rich District: The Effects of Suburbanization on a Rural School and Community

dc.creator	Kotler, R.
dc.creator	Lado, L. M.
dc.creator	Huber, D.
dc.creator	Eldridge, A.
dc.creator	Carnes, M.
dc.creator	Howley, A.
dc.creator	Turner, M.
dc.date	2005-07-01T00:00:00Z
dc.date.accessioned	2015-08-12T11:21:45Z
dc.date.available	2015-08-12T11:21:45Z
dc.identifier	1551-0670
dc.identifier	https://doaj.org/article/8e0a481c7258402ab5ffad959f22a6f4
dc.identifier.uri	http://evidence.thinkportal.org/handle/123456789/29144
dc.description	Contextualized in relationship to other case studies about rural districts that have experienced population growth and decline as well as in relationship to the small sociological literature on “boom towns,” this study considered the dynamics that seem to be interfering with one previously rural and now suburbanizing district’s ability to address an academic mission. The research followed a structured case study protocol, with researchers gathering data from interviews with 31 members of the school community, including board members, educators, parents, and nonparent community members. In addition, the researchers reviewed relevant documentary and archival evidence. Analysis of data revealed three themes. The ﬁrst theme was called “identity crisis” because it characterized a serious tension between district identity grounded in historical circumstances and an emerging new identity reﬂective of current circumstances. This tension promoted signiﬁcant ambiguity with respect to district goals as well as the practices undertaken to realize goals. A second theme, therefore, was named “goal ambiguity.” A ﬁnal theme called “ambiguities in resource allocation” focused on the difﬁculties that district leadership faced in making judgments about how best to use limited resources. Because the district was dealing with ambiguous goals and the inconsistencies in practice resulting from goal ambiguity, decisions about resource allocation seemed to be made without much attention to long-range or strategic plans.
dc.language	English
dc.publisher	University of Maine College of Education & Human Development
dc.relation	http://www.umaine.edu/jrre/20-9.htm
dc.relation	https://doaj.org/toc/1551-0670
dc.source	Journal of Research in Rural Education, Vol 20, Iss 9 (2005)
dc.subject	rural education
dc.subject	suburbanization
dc.subject	rural schools
dc.subject	rural school districts
dc.subject	rural communities
dc.subject	Special aspects of education
dc.subject	LC8-6691
dc.subject	Education
dc.subject	L
dc.subject	DOAJ:Education
dc.subject	DOAJ:Social Sciences
dc.subject	Special aspects of education
dc.subject	LC8-6691
dc.subject	Education
dc.subject	L
dc.subject	DOAJ:Education
dc.subject	DOAJ:Social Sciences
dc.subject	Special aspects of education
dc.subject	LC8-6691
dc.subject	Education
dc.subject	L
dc.subject	Special aspects of education
dc.subject	LC8-6691
dc.subject	Education
dc.subject	L
dc.subject	Special aspects of education
dc.subject	LC8-6691
dc.subject	Education
dc.subject	L
dc.title	The Poor Little Rich District: The Effects of Suburbanization on a Rural School and Community
dc.type	article