Urban, Rural Schools Show Same Chasm Between Haves And Have-Nots

February 4, 2000

University Park, Pa. -- Rural and urban young adults from disadvantaged backgrounds both tend to complete an average of eight fewer years of school than their counterparts from advantaged backgrounds, say Penn State researchers.

"Among urban and rural students alike, factors such as poverty, moving during grade school, disciplinary problems and minority status all detract from academic achievement," notes Dr. Debra L. Blackwell, former postdoctoral trainee in sociology and demography. "Moreover, students who are disadvantaged in other respects often suffer from attendance at inferior schools and may receive less encouragement from parents and close friends to do well in school and move up the educational ranks."

"Policy efforts to boost educational attainment in rural and urban areas alike would be most fruitful if they focused on ways to improve the educational climate and support of young people from disadvantaged and average backgrounds. Our study suggests that such strategies should begin well before high school since most students have defined educational goals, high or low, by the time they reach the ninth grade," adds Dr. Diane K. McLaughlin, assistant professor of rural sociology and demography.

Blackwell and McLaughlin, research associate with Penn State’s Population Research Institute, are co-authors of the paper, "Do Rural Youth Attain Their Educational Goals?" published in a recent issue of Rural Development Perspectives.

The researchers used data from the National Longitudinal Survey of Youth (NLSY) collected by the Bureau of Labor Statistics. The sample consisted of 1,180 people describing themselves as rural -- from the country or a small town -- and 4,384 urban young people, age 14 to 17 and still enrolled in school in 1979. By 1990, the sample respondents were 25 to 28 years old and many had completed their education.

"Educational goals have a big impact on educational attainment," says Blackwell. "Students set their sights higher when their own parents are highly educated, hold professional positions and encourage them to pursue education. The students also receive support from their close friends, who share similar ambitions. This does not mean, of course, that high educational goals always translate into high educational achievement."

In general, rural youth have lower educational goals than do urban youth, partly because they are less likely to have educated parents with professional occupations. Also, a higher percentage of parents of rural boys, in particular, are more likely to approve if their sons chose not to attend college, according to the researchers.

"The plight of low-income rural youth is exacerbated by the facts that their poverty is less visible to the media and policy makers, and rural areas offer fewer adult role models with a college education and associated occupations," McLaughlin notes. "Moreover, rural schools tend to be smaller and often less able to offer specialized technology and courses that give students an edge in preparing for college. Underfunding of rural schools has been a problem of long standing."

Using data from the survey, the researchers estimated that, among students with advantaged backgrounds, rural boys are likely to complete an average of 18.4 years of school, and advantaged rural girls attain an average of 19.1 years -- well beyond an 4-year college degree. Advantaged urban boys will likely finish 19.3 years of schooling, and urban girls, 19 years.

Rural boys from an average background can be expected to complete 13.1 years of school, more than high school but far less than a college degree. The figure for rural girls is 14.2 years, on average. Among urban youth, average girls and boys will likely complete 13.9 and 12.7 years of school, respectively, McLaughlin says.

Among young people from disadvantaged backgrounds, rural boys were estimated to complete an average of 9.4 years of school, meaning that they drop out after the ninth or tenth grade. Rural girls from disadvantaged situations finish an average of 10.9 years; urban boys, 9.9 years; and urban girls, 9.6 years.

"Strategies for raising the educational aspirations and attainment of disadvantaged and average youth might include exposing grade school and junior high school students to college-educated adults with a wide range of occupations as role models and giving students access to such individuals on a regular basis," Blackwell notes. "Role models from high-paying trade occupations can stress the importance of education for keeping up with rapidly changing technology.

"Extracurricular activities that involve a number of other students' parents, or others from the community, may be useful in this regard," she adds. "Additional resources for learning -- books, magazines, libraries and computers -- and special programs for at-risk students to encourage use of these materials might increase these students' interest and success in school."

?McLaughlin notes, "Schools should assist all parents, but especially less-educated parents, with completing the often complex applications for financial aid. It is essential to help children whose families have few resources and no experience with college realize that post-high school education is within their grasp. This can motivate parents to encourage their children to stay in school, work hard and aspire to education as one path to opportunity."

***pab***

Contacts:

Paul Blaum (814) 865-9481 (o)

Vicki Fong (814) 865-9481 (o)/ (814) 238-1221 (h)

EDITORS: Dr. Blackwell is at (301) 458-4103 or at by email. Dr. McLaughlin is at

(814) 863-8626 or by email.