#  Our Research 

 



##  Our Research 

Over the last few decades, the amount of rigorous research on effective interventions in education has grown tremendously. However, these efforts have focused almost exclusively on urban and suburban settings. Rural communities have unique challenges and assets. **There still isn’t enough evidence about what works in rural education.**

By establishing a network of rural partners working through similar challenges, NCRERN conducts rural research that overcomes sample size challenges, reduces costs, and enables partners to share and benefit from one another’s insights and experiences in order to rapidly identify solutions that work for students and families.



 

 

 

       ![Books on a shelf](/sites/g/files/omnuum3601/files/styles/hwp_21_9__1920x825/public/2024-11/Untitled%20design%20%2843%29.png?itok=giIasvfk) 

 

 



 

 



 

##  NCRERN's Model 

 



  [### An Introduction to NCRERN

 ](/file_url/153)April 2022



 

   ![Intro to NCRERN](/sites/g/files/omnuum3601/files/styles/hwp_1_1__360x360_scale/public/ncrern/files/screenshot_2024-08-27_at_12.26.02_pm.png?itok=T-BsnrCq) 

 

 

 

  [### An Introduction to NCRERN's Continuous Improvement Model

 ](/file_url/161)Hayley Didriksen  
December 2022



 

   ![Intro to Continuous Improvement](/sites/g/files/omnuum3601/files/styles/hwp_1_1__360x360_scale/public/ncrern/files/screenshot_2024-05-21_at_1.18.04_pm.png?itok=CYJrsglS) 

 

 

 

  [### An Introduction to NCRERN's New York & Ohio Rural Research Network

 ](/file_url/152)Katherine Kieninger, Jennifer Ash, and Kellie Solowski  
April 2022



 

   ![Intro to NY and OH](/sites/g/files/omnuum3601/files/styles/hwp_1_1__360x360_scale/public/ncrern/files/screenshot_2024-05-21_at_1.19.16_pm.png?itok=zHplDxJp) 

 

 

 

  [### An Introduction to the NCRERN Replication Network

 ](https://ncrern.provingground.cepr.harvard.edu/sites/g/files/omnuum3601/files/2025-01/ncrern_replication_network_9.10_v5_to_post_1.pdf) 

   ![brief cover page](/sites/g/files/omnuum3601/files/styles/hwp_1_1__360x360_scale/public/2025-01/Screenshot%202025-01-31%20at%2011.22.51%E2%80%AFAM.png?itok=tl6q-qgT) 

 

 

 

  

 

 

 

##  Postsecondary Readiness and Entry 

 



  [### Insights into College Access from a Rural Research Network

 ](https://ncrern.provingground.cepr.harvard.edu/sites/g/files/omnuum3601/files/2025-03/College%20Pathways_12.17.24.pdf)Elise Swanson   
December 2024



 

   ![Insights into College Access from a Rural Research Network](/sites/g/files/omnuum3601/files/styles/hwp_1_1__360x360_scale/public/2024-12/Screenshot%202024-12-20%20at%204.21.32%20PM.png?itok=_3b59T-0) 

 

 

 

  [### Insights into Workforce Entry from a Rural Research Network

 ](https://ncrern.provingground.cepr.harvard.edu/sites/g/files/omnuum3601/files/2024-12/NCRERN_Workforce_Pathways_December%202024.pdf)Elise Swanson  
December 2024



 

   ![Insights into Workforce Entry from a Rural Research Network](/sites/g/files/omnuum3601/files/styles/hwp_1_1__360x360_scale/public/2024-12/Workforce%20Entry%20Diagnostic%20screenshot.png?itok=HjtDyb0B) 

 

 

 

  [### Insights into Military Service from a Rural Research Network

 ](https://ncrern.provingground.cepr.harvard.edu/sites/g/files/omnuum3601/files/2024-12/NCRERN_Military_Pathways_December%202024.pdf)Elise Swanson   
December 2024



 

   ![Insights into Military Service from a Rural Research Network](/sites/g/files/omnuum3601/files/styles/hwp_1_1__360x360_scale/public/2024-12/Screenshot%202024-12-20%20at%203.46.12%20PM.png?itok=96SKk_CV) 

 

 

 

  

 

 

 

  [### Supporting Postsecondary Readiness in Rural Districts: Experimental Evidence from a Rural Research Network

 ](https://ncrern.provingground.cepr.harvard.edu/sites/g/files/omnuum3601/files/2025-01/Supporting%20Postsecondary%20Readiness%20in%20Rural%20Districts_Final%20WP.pdf)Elise Swanson, Jennifer Ash, Sativa Thompson, Lisa Sanbonmatsu, Christopher Avery, Douglas O. Staiger, and Thomas J. Kane   
December 2024



 

   ![Supporting Postsecondary Readiness in Rural Districts](/sites/g/files/omnuum3601/files/styles/hwp_1_1__360x360_scale/public/2024-12/Screenshot%202024-12-20%20at%204.18.12%20PM.png?itok=o30jMaKh) 

 

 

 

  [### Improving Postsecondary Readiness in Rural Districts: Experimental Evidence from Two Pilots in a Rural Research Network

 ](https://ncrern.provingground.cepr.harvard.edu/sites/g/files/omnuum3601/files/2025-01/NCRERN_PSR1%20Results%20Brief_December%202024%20.pdf)Elise Swanson and Sativa Thompson   
December 2024



 

   ![Improving Postsecondary Readiness in Rural Districts: Experimental Evidence from Two Pilots in a Rural Research Network](/sites/g/files/omnuum3601/files/styles/hwp_1_1__360x360_scale/public/2024-12/Screenshot%202024-12-20%20at%202.40.57%20PM.png?itok=As44WOMh) 

 

 

 

  

 

 

 

##  Attendance 

 



  [### Trends in Student Absenteeism in NCRERN's New York & Ohio Rural Research Network

 ](https://ncrern.provingground.cepr.harvard.edu/sites/g/files/omnuum3601/files/2025-01/ncrern_historical_attendance_updated%20Jan%202024.pdf)Katherine Kieninger, Jennifer Ash, Kellie Solowski, and Elise Swanson  
November 2022



 

   ![Trends in Student Absenteeism](/sites/g/files/omnuum3601/files/styles/hwp_1_1__360x360_scale/public/ncrern/files/screenshot_2024-05-21_at_1.05.33_pm_01.png?itok=En-bpDH9) 

 

 

 

  [### Improving Rural Attendance: Results from Six Pilots in NCRERN's New York & Ohio Rural Research Network

 ](https://ncrern.provingground.cepr.harvard.edu/sites/g/files/omnuum3601/files/2025-01/ncrern_attendance_results_updated_0.pdf)Elise Swanson  
November 2022 (updated May 2023)



 

   ![Results from 6 Pilots](/sites/g/files/omnuum3601/files/styles/hwp_1_1__360x360_scale/public/ncrern/files/screenshot_2024-05-21_at_1.10.09_pm.png?itok=CJjA3OL4) 

 

 

 

  [### Using Continuous Improvement Cycles to Improve Attendance

 ](https://ncrern.provingground.cepr.harvard.edu/sites/g/files/omnuum3601/files/2025-01/ncrern_attendance_case_study_updated%20Jan%202024.pdf)Hayley Didriksen, Kellie Solowski, Jennifer Ash, and Katherine Kieninger  
November 2022



 

   ![Using Continuous Improvement Cycles](/sites/g/files/omnuum3601/files/styles/hwp_1_1__360x360_scale/public/ncrern/files/screenshot_2024-05-21_at_1.11.26_pm.png?itok=-2Hq3ZSZ) 

 

 

 

  

 

 

 

  [### Come Back…Be Here: Evaluating Strategies to Improve Student Attendance through a Rural Research Network

 ](https://ncrern.provingground.cepr.harvard.edu/sites/g/files/omnuum3601/files/2025-01/Come%20Back_Be%20Here_December%202024.pdf)Elise Swanson, Jennifer Ash, Kristen Cummings, Thomas J. Kane, Douglas O. Staiger, Lisa Sanbonmatsu   
December 2024



 

   ![Come Back... Be Here](/sites/g/files/omnuum3601/files/styles/hwp_1_1__360x360_scale/public/2024-12/Screenshot%202024-12-20%20at%201.16.30%20PM.png?itok=Wk9CTEss) 

 

 

 

  [### Lifting Up Attendance in Rural Districts: A Multi-Site Trial of a Personalized Messaging Campaign

 ](https://ncrern.provingground.cepr.harvard.edu/sites/g/files/omnuum3601/files/2025-01/Lifting%20Up%20Attendance%20in%20Rural%20Districts_December%202024.pdf)Elise Swanson, Sativa Thompson, Jennifer Ash, Hayley Didriksen, Thomas J. Kane, Douglas O. Staiger, and Lisa Sanbonmatsu  
December 2024

*Read the*[ *updated working paper and a policy and practice summary here*](https://edworkingpapers.com/ai25-1189)*.*



 

   ![Lifting up attendance in rural districts](/sites/g/files/omnuum3601/files/styles/hwp_1_1__360x360_scale/public/2024-12/Screenshot%202024-12-20%20at%202.33.49%20PM.png?itok=wRmf9Sy1) 

 

 

 

  

 

 

 

##  Resource: Improving Attendance with Personalized Messages 

 



 

This How-To Guide is designed for school staff who want to implement a personalized messaging intervention to improve student attendance. Personalized messages—sent via email, text message, robocall, or letters by mail—are a low-effort, low-cost strategy designed to improve attendance by providing families and caregivers with transparent, real-time information about their student’s cumulative absences each month. During the 2022-23 and 2023-24 academic years, NCRERN partnered with 47 rural districts in 16 states across the United States to study personalized messaging in grades K-12. We found personalized messaging to be an effective and low-cost intervention. Over the course of an academic year, personalized messaging decreased absences by between 1.7% and 4.4% in participating districts and cost roughly $4.00 per student.



 [ Download the Personalized Messaging How-To Guide arrow\_circle\_right ](https://ncrern.provingground.cepr.harvard.edu/sites/g/files/omnuum3601/files/2025-01/Personalized%20Messaging%20How%20To%20Guide_updated.pdf) 

 



    ![personalized messaging guide](/sites/g/files/omnuum3601/files/styles/hwp_1_1__720x720_scale/public/ncrern/files/personalizedmessagingguide.png?itok=AUbe9Hpe) 

 

 

  

 



 

 

 

##  Navigating COVID-19 

 



  [### The Response of Rural Districts to the COVID-19 Pandemic

 ](https://cepr.harvard.edu/files/cepr/files/ncrern_report.pdf)Tara Nicola, Alexis Gable, Jennifer Ash  
July 2020



 

   ![The Response of Rural Districts to the Pandemic](/sites/g/files/omnuum3601/files/styles/hwp_1_1__360x360_scale/public/ncrern/files/screenshot_2024-05-21_at_1.27.38_pm.png?itok=koq0-wzb) 

 

 

 

  [### Rural school districts can be creative in solving the internet connectivity gap—but they need support

 ](https://www.brookings.edu/blog/brown-center-chalkboard/2020/08/10/rural-school-districts-can-be-creative-in-solving-the-internet-connectivity-gap-but-they-need-support/?preview_id=965463)Alice Opalka, Alexis Gable, Tara Nicola, and Jennifer Ash  
Brookings  
August 10, 2020



 

   ![Rural School Districts can be creative](/sites/g/files/omnuum3601/files/styles/hwp_1_1__360x360_scale/public/ncrern/files/screenshot_2024-05-21_at_1.29.10_pm.png?itok=LNPj2yb3) 

 

 

 

  

 

 

 

 

##  Research Clearinghouse 

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



 

 



 [ Access the Attendance Research Clearinghouse arrow\_circle\_right ](/clearinghouse) [ Access the Postsecondary Research Clearinghouse arrow\_circle\_right ](/rural-postsec-research-clearinghouse) 

 

 

 

 

##  Rural Collaboratives 

NCRERN is partnering with Empower Schools to support research on the effectiveness of Rural Collaboratives in improving postsecondary success for underserved rural students.



 

 



 [ Learn about Rural Collaboratives Research arrow\_circle\_right ](https://ncrern.provingground.cepr.harvard.edu/rural-collaboratives)