# Rural Schooling Study White Paper

## University of Phoenix College of Doctoral Studies releases white paper on rural schooling characteristics

July 16, 2025 • 2 minutes
**By Sharla Hooper**

_Author Dr. James Lane discusses G.R.O.W. Generating Rural Opportunities in the Workforce™ report findings in exploration of rural schooling _

[University of Phoenix](https://www.phoenix.edu/)College of Doctoral Studies has released a new white paper, "The G.R.O.W. Generating Rural Opportunities in the Workforce™ Reportand Probing the Unique Characteristics of Rural Schooling: A Narrative Inquiry,” by James Lane, Ed.D., senior research fellow with the University’s[Center for Educational and Instructional Technology Research (CEITR)](https://www.phoenix.edu/research/education-instruction-technology.html). In the paper, the author analyzes[G.R.O.W. Generating Rural Opportunities in the Workforce™ report](https://www.phoenix.edu/career-institute/generating-rural-opportunities-workforce.html) findings to contextual a narrative study of significant experiences and insights of current and retired educators who teach or have taught within small rural distant schools, in order to better understand characteristics that make these schools unique fabrics within the American educational tapestry.  

“The narrative inquiry revealed shared characteristics in rural areas even though the participants were geographically disparate,” Lane shares. “The findings may provide value to those leading rural schools as well as those who train and prepare rural educators, and who shape public policies impacting those communities.”

Applying an analytical mode of narrative inquiry, Lane delves into experiences of rural educators and identifies similar characteristics including care, community and family as well as limited college and career preparation, with contributors of geographic isolation and poverty. The author offers context for the narrative inquiry through related data findings from the G.R.O.W. report which revealed distinctions between rural and urban workforce, their demographic makeup, and their career perspectives.

Lane is a faculty member in the College of Doctoral Studies ACCESS program, facilitating doctoral courses and serving dissertation committees as panel validator and has worked with University of Phoenix since 2006 in various roles. He served as a public school educator for 37 years as an English teacher, district language arts supervisor, and middle school assistant principal and principal. Lane earned his doctorate in Educational Leadership at University of South Florida, where he also completed a master’s in Educational Leadership, a master of arts in English, and a bachelor’s degree in English-Mass Communications Education.

The full white paper is available on the University of Phoenix[Career Institute® webpage](https://www.phoenix.edu/career-institute.html)or as a[direct link here](https://www.phoenix.edu/content/dam/edu/research/doc/white-papers/educational-instructional-technology/2025/rural-schools-lane.pdf).

**About University of Phoenix **

_University of Phoenix innovates to help working adults enhance their careers and develop skills in a rapidly changing world. Flexible schedules, relevant courses, interactive learning, skills-mapped curriculum for our bachelor’s and master’s degree programs and a Career Services for Life® commitment help students more effectively pursue career and personal aspirations while balancing their busy lives. _[For more information, visit phoenix.edu](https://www.phoenix.edu/blog.html)_._

### About University of Phoenix

_University of Phoenix innovates to help working adults enhance their careers and develop skills in a rapidly changing world. Flexible schedules, relevant courses, interactive learning, skills-mapped curriculum for our bachelor’s and master’s degree programs and a Career Services for Life® commitment help students more effectively pursue career and personal aspirations while balancing their busy lives. For more information, visit  phoenix.edu/blog.html._

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