The Ohio Appalachian Collaborative (OAC) began in 2010 with a common passion and mission: transforming rural education to help ensure students graduate from high school prepared for success in college, careers, and life.
Twenty-one districts in the Appalachian region of Ohio joined together with Battelle for Kids to leverage strengths, increase impact, and use collaboration as a key strategy for educational reform and success. Using the
Rural Education Transformation Approach, the OAC set out to enhance educator effectiveness and accelerate college and career readiness for all students through six major areas for transformational change.
Through working together, OAC districts have:
Connecting these components are four core processes: collaboration,communication, technology, and training. Click the six components below to learn more about our work.
The Challenge
Districts and schools across the country are working to give students access to a high-quality education that will prepare students for success in college and careers.
But rural school districts face unique challenges in accomplishing this goal. Rural schools serve a higher number of economically-disadvantaged and special education students. Rural districts serve students that span large geographic areas, and have limited financial and human resources. And while schools work to prepare students for success in college and careers, the Appalachian region faces challenges of an under-educated population and a lack of high-paying jobs to keep educated citizens in the area.
Districts in the OAC are working to transform education in a way that works for rural communities. This involves working to develop strategic plans for college and career readiness based around three pillars: academic preparation, accessibility, and aspiration
Take from Battelle for Kids (http://portal.battelleforkids.org/OAC/our-story)