Herbst, Audrey Ann2019-04-182019-04-182019-05-01http://hdl.handle.net/2097/39620A country's productivity and economic competitiveness relies upon education, specifically postsecondary training which is fundamental to students' upward mobility in a thriving and progressive economic culture (Hanushek & Kimko, 2000; Haunshek & Woessmann, 2012; Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2013; Bailey, Jaggars, & Jenkins, 2015). At least 71% of careers in the 21st century, and beyond, will require a minimum of a vocational certificate or licensure, associate's degree, or bachelor's degree by the year 2020 (Lindsay, J., Davis, E., Stephan, J., Bonsu, P., & Narlock, J. (2016). Despite several years of state and national efforts, the US is producing nowhere near enough adults with the prescribed postsecondary credentials to meet the national workforce requirements (Bidwell, 2015; Lumina Foundation, 2017). Higher levels of degree attainment must become a national priority (Pathways to success: Integrating learning with life and work to increase national college completion. A report to the U.S. congress and secretary of education.2012). This study articulates (a) thick descriptions of transformational approaches to build a culture that is conducive to successful preparation of students for postsecondary credential attainment in rural secondary schools in Kansas; (b) a purposeful examination of approaches, programs, and strategies that are currently implemented within rural secondary schools in Kansas that promote postsecondary credential attainment of students; and (c) a description of proposed methods to support educators as transformational approaches to enhance postsecondary credential attainment by students in rural secondary schools in Kansas are implemented.en-US© the author. This Item is protected by copyright and/or related rights. You are free to use this Item in any way that is permitted by the copyright and related rights legislation that applies to your use. For other uses you need to obtain permission from the rights-holder(s).http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/Postsecondary credentialsSchool redesignRural schoolsCTEPostsecondary planningPostsecondary successCollege and career preparationDissertation