Resources

To help inform education stakeholders in Utah, this REL West study examined the differences in characteristics between rural and non-rural districts in the state from fiscal year 2012 through fiscal year 2017 using administrative data from the Utah State Board of Education and the Utah Education Association.

The study found that rural and non-rural school districts differed on a number of dimensions.

Key Findings

• Compared to non-rural districts, rural districts had a smaller percentage of classes taught by highly qualified teachers, and the average four-year graduation rate was slightly higher in rural districts
• A smaller proportion of students in rural districts were proficient in English language arts and science compared to students in non-rural districts
• The inflation-and-cost-of-living-adjusted average annual scheduled teacher salary was slightly lower in rural districts compared to non-rural districts