Photo: Maria Fabrizio

From lack of internet service to college preparation, students who live in rural areas of the country often face a number of barriers getting to and through post-high school training and education.

But the rural-student issue is gaining momentum. More colleges are beginning to consider their rural students as a separate demographic group—and consciously devising services such as internships, "small-town" student orientations, special tutoring, and other support efforts for those whose high schools lacked some key academic resources.

A state program that recruits and trains classroom aides, food service workers, and bus drivers—who are already on campus and invested in local schools—is helping California combat its teacher shortage.

The California Classified School Employee Teacher Credentialing Program has assisted in transforming 299 school employees into teachers—with thousands more in the pipeline—according to a new report from the California Commission on Teacher Credentialing.