April 7, 2009
Contact: Dr. Tony Marchesi, 304.347.0427 or 800.624.9120, ext. 5427
tony.marchesi@edvantia.org

CHARLESTON, WV—A dissertation by Dr. Kimberly Cowley of Edvantia will be honored by the American Educational Research Association’s Rural Education Special Interest Group during its annual meeting this month in San Diego. The dissertation, Investigating West Virginia Students' Perceptions of the Factors Affecting Their Educational Aspirations, explores factors influencing the educational aspirations of 664 West Virginia students. It received third place in the association’s national competition.

During her research, Dr. Cowley found that students felt less optimistic about their educational aspirations as ninth graders than they had as seventh graders, confirming what earlier research had suggested. She also found that student gender, parents’ college experiences, and school environment played significant roles in students’ aspirations.

During the past decade, Dr. Cowley and her Edvantia colleagues have received more than a dozen national awards from AERA for evaluations of educational programs. In 2007, a dissertation by Dr. Caitlin Howley, director of the Rural Education Center at Edvantia, received top honors from the AERA Rural Special Interest Group.

Edvantia has a long history of supporting rural school improvement. The Rural Education Center at Edvantia (RECE) was established by a team of education professionals who grew up in rural communities or discovered a love of them later in life. RECE provides comprehensive, needs-based services for rural schools and districts. The center strives to offer solutions that are sustainable, affordable, locally situated, and culturally responsive.

About Edvantia: Edvantia is a nonprofit corporation, founded in 1966, that partners with education agencies, foundations, publishers, and service providers to apply expertise in research, evaluation, professional development, and technical assistance to help schools and students succeed. Specialty areas include district and school improvement, teacher quality, systems development and alignment, STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math), 21st century skills, and college access. Learn more at the Edvantia Web sites or contact Dr. Tony Marchesi (see above).