Unlocking the Potential of Rural Middle Schools

by | Dec 12, 2023 | administrators, coaching, Education, New Hampshire, News and Press, Partners, Professional Development, professional learning, rural schools, teachers, training, U.S.

Unlocking the Potential of Rural Middle Schools

Policymakers and media pay a lot of attention to the problems facing urban communities. Yet many rural schools, especially in marginalized communities, face similar challenges that are amplified by isolation and lack of basic resources.

  • Difficulty recruiting and retaining teachers 
  • Low per-pupil funding
  • Reduced supports for learning and development

There’s a critical need for increased achievement in rural areas where 64% of counties have high rates of child poverty, just 19% of residents have a college degree, and household income trails urban households by up to 25%.

Teacher quality is the single biggest factor in ensuring students’ academic success and addressing those systemic inequities in education.

Our rural middle school educators particularly need our support, as they play a pivotal role in the “make it or break it” period of grades six through eight. In fact, sixth graders who display just one off-track indicator face a mere 15% – 25% likelihood of graduating on schedule.


All Points North Foundation and TeachUNITED Enter Year Two of Transformative Grant Partnership

With sustained, multi-year support from All Points North Foundation, TeachUNITED remains steadfast in its dedication to advancing rural middle school education and ensuring the next generation is poised for success in school and beyond.

Year 1

Thanks to funding from All Points North Foundation in 2022, this partnership has already made significant strides in its first year working with 25 educators and more than 1,400 rural students in New Hampshire, Colorado, and Missouri. 

Early data shows the program is helping these middle school teachers feel more prepared and motivated, leading to higher retention rates.

  • Preparing: 92% of participating educators demonstrated instructional shifts in practices.
  • Motivating: Teacher motivation grew 21.4 percentage points from pre-to-post program.
  • Retaining: Double-digit (+12%) YOY increase in teacher retention.
And teachers are seeing first-hand how their students’ approach to learning is changing.
With new strategies and tools gained from the program, teachers are increasing student engagement. Middle School Social Studies teacher, Andrew Bergang explained, “I think when things are not as traditional, or not what they expect, my students are more excited about it [learning].” Participating teachers are finding ways to bring authentic experiences to their classrooms, like virtual field trips that allow kids to immerse themselves in the sights and sounds of a learning topic. Hear more from Andrew here. 
“One of the reasons we see such a high impact in our partnership is that we are laser focused on teacher support as the driver of student success. And while we won’t be distracted by trends, we know there is a place for embracing innovation and growth alongside research and evidence – just like the best teachers.”
Tony Moten

Executive Director, All Points North Foundation

Year 2

As the partnership with All Points North Foundation embarks on its second year, both organizations are excited to build upon our successes and set ambitious goals for the future.
“In collaboration with All Points North Foundation, we’re not just addressing rural education challenges; we’re sculpting a sustainable model that breaks through barriers, ensuring lasting impact on every student. Our journey continues, and we’re grateful for the unwavering support that paves the way for success in rural middle schools.”
Heather Hiebsch

CEO, TeachUNITED

The key objectives for year two include:

1. Support those educators from year 1 as they move from the mentee role into the mentor role for the rest of their school.

One of the key elements of the TeachUNITED model is the continued side-by-side support for educators post-program. Upon program completion, educators leave with the training and materials to serve as in-house coaches for peer educators in year two and beyond.

Each school customized their Year 2 program implementation to their needs. Missouri Middle School teachers will be training their colleagues at quarterly professional development sessions. At Strong Foundations Charter School, where Andrew teaches, teachers will pair up with another lead teacher to mentor a group of colleagues throughout the year on a single strategic topic. Andrew’s group will focus on personalized learning. He explains further here.   

Watch the Video

2. Expand to coach a new set of middle school educators throughout rural New Hampshire, reaching 2,400+ students.

A new cohort of participating teachers from rural New Hampshire has just begun the program. Given the size and location of many of our partner schools, teachers don’t always have other instructors at their grade level(s) with whom to collaborate and share ideas. So districts are embracing TU’s peer learning communities and 1:1 coaching, elements that make the model both locally-led and sustainable. We’ll check in with these educators later in the year to showcase the great work they are doing!

3. Build both internal and external measurement and evaluation tools and processes to validate improvements for both teachers and students.

TeachUNITED has always incorporated multiple data sources and success indicators to ensure program efficacy (e.g. educator surveys and available school assessments). This school year, we’re collaborating with ACT to launch a new pilot study aimed at measuring the effect that educator efficacy training and coaching have in the classroom. Read more about the pilot study here. 

All Points North Foundation is helping address the challenges our rural middle school partners face and strengthening TU program components for a lasting impact on all students. More about our partnership with All Points North Foundation can be found here. We thank them for their generous continued support of TeachUNITED and rural middle school educators, and look forward to sharing more about the success of this multi-year partnership!

Learn More about TU Programs

ABOUT ALL POINTS NORTH FOUNDATION

All Points North Foundation was founded in 2011 by a private family foundation who believes passionately that everyone has a “true North” – a place of achievement – and that everyone should have equal opportunity and access to realize their goals. All Points North Foundation funds grantees in two areas – public middle school education (grades 6-8) and solar energy – that have the power to help communities nationwide navigate upward. For more information, visit allpointsnorthfoundation.org.