Then, with databases collected under sponsorship of the National Science Foundation and the U.S. Department of Education, they traced how rural origins affected socioeconomic achievement when the individuals had reached adulthood. The study also gauged whether outcomes could be changed if the person migrated from a rural to an urban environment. To determine levels of success, the researchers applied statistical models that measure achievement. The result was a historical mosaic that, in general, reflects the impact on individual well-being of federal programs such as the federal highway act, the Rural Electrification Administration and a host of other rural development programs. In addition to showing a clear deficit among young people coming from or moving to rural areas, Howell said the statistical models raise questions about the future quality of life in rural America.
Education policy can profoundly affect rural areas.
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