< Back to NCLB Overview Rural Schools and Districts Several ESEA provisions address the unique challenges that rural schools and districts face. ESEA includes a grant program (under Part B of Title VI) designed to help rural districts that lack the personnel and resources to compete effectively for federal competitive grants and that often receive grant allocations too small to effectively meet their intended purposes. Also, in response to ESEA's highly qualified teaching provision, the US Department of Education has decided that states may allow rural local education agencies additional time for multiple subject teachers who are highly qualified in one subject to become highly qualified in the additional subjects they teach. Guidance, Regulations, Legislation, and Announcements Announcements Secretary of Education Letter to Chief State School Officers regarding flexibility for rural schools in meeting the highly qualified teacher provision of NCLB (March 2004)    Related Resources from SchoolsMovingUp Useful Links Navigating Resources for Rural Schools    Provides access to recent data, periodic studies, and tabulations prepared by the U.S. Department of Education's National Center for Education Statistics, as well as links to other sites concerned with rural education. The Rural School and Community Trust’s NCLB Section    Provides research and news about how the No Child Left Behind Act is affecting rural education. Readings How Are Rural School Districts Meeting the Teacher Quality Requirements of NCLB? Author: Schwartzbeck, T.D., Price, C.D., Redfield, D., Morris, H., & Hammer, P.C. Publication Date: 2003 Publisher: American Association of School Administrators Special Challenges of the No Child Left Behind Act for Rural Schools and Districts Author: Jimerson, L. Publisher: The Rural School and Community Trust What Does a School Mean to a Community? Assessing the Social and Economic Benefits of Schools to Rural Villages in New York Author: Lyson, T.A. Publication Date: 2002, Winter Why Rural Matters 2005 Author: Johnson, J., Strange, M. Publication Date: 2005, May Publisher: The Rural School and Community Trust		NCLB Overview »  Adequate Yearly Progress »  Assessment & Accountability »  Charter Schools »  Choice/Transfer »  English Language Learners »  Enhancing Education Through Technology »  Highly Qualified Teachers »  IDEA and NCLB »  Paraprofessionals »  Parent Involvement »  Professional Development »  Reading/Literacy »  Rural Schools and Districts »  Safe Schools »  School/District Interventions »  Scientifically Based Research »  Supplemental Services