Our Work

NCRERN Publications

Trends in Student Absenteeism in NCRERN's New York & Ohio Rural Research Network
Katherine Kieninger, Jennifer Ash, Kellie Solowski, and Elise Swanson
November 2022

Results from Six Pilots in NCRERN's New York & Ohio Rural Research Network
Elise Swanson
November 2022 (updated May 2023)

Using Continuous Improvement Cycles to Improve Attendance
Hayley Didriksen, Kellie Solowski, Jennifer Ash, and Katherine Kieninger
November 2022

An Introduction to NCRERN's Continuous Improvement Model
Hayley Didriksen
December 2022

An Introduction to NCRERN's New York & Ohio Rural Research Network
Katherine Kieninger, Jennifer Ash, and Kellie Solowski
April 2022

An Introduction to NCRERN
April 2022

The Response of Rural Districts to the COVID-19 Pandemic
Tara Nicola, Alexis Gable, Jennifer Ash
July 2020

Rural school districts can be creative in solving the internet connectivity gap—but they need support
Alice Opalka, Alexis Gable, Tara Nicola, and Jennifer Ash
Brookings
August 10, 2020

NCRERN Resources

Personalized Messaging How-To Guide
A step-by-step guide on how to implement an evidence-based messaging intervention aimed at improving student attendance. 

Attendance Tracking Guidance
Guidance to Proving Ground and NCRERN partners as they finalize plans to measure attendance in the 20-21 school year.

Attendance Intervention Best Practices
Learnings and best practices from NCRERN's partner districts experiences with the Attendance Intervention.

Schooling during COVID-19: Concerns and Solutions
Suggestions and options for solving COVID-19 related problems. 

Research Clearinghouse

NCRERN conducted a systematic review to better understand the current state of the descriptive and causal research on attendance in rural settings.

Access Research Clearinghouse

Four Lines of Study

The Rural Center engages partners to uncover and share solutions to the distinctive challenges of rural education research using four lines of study. Learn more about the components of NCRERN.

Diagnostic Analyses

The diagnostic analysis will identify trends to help partners diagnose the root causes of their challenges. It will also help them develop and refine interventions to address relevant challenges around attendance and postsecondary readiness. We will analyze variation across and within schools to help identify key issues that can be addressed through interventions.

Impact Evaluations

The impact evaluations will examine interventions developed and refined with our partners to improve attendance and postsecondary readiness. These studies will use randomized designs to evaluate impacts of the interventions on a rapid-cycle basis. Results of the impact analyses are then used to determine whether to scale up, modify, or discontinue the identified solution and begin the improvement cycle again

Replication Evaluations

The replication evaluations will test the impact of the interventions which proved effective in NY and OH partner districts in rural districts in three additional states. This study will validate the results found with our partner districts, and provide information on potential barriers to the diffusion of effective interventions.

Overall Evaluation of NCRERN’s Impact

The overall evaluation measures the impact of participation in NCRERN. Participating districts will be matched to comparison districts that have similar demographics and prior trends in attendance and postsecondary readiness. We will then compare the change in outcomes in the participating districts and the comparison districts on attendance and postsecondary readiness.