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A critical aspect of rural research is carefully defining and describing the rural context. This is particularly important in rural special education research because different definitions of rural may influence resource allocation, grant funding eligibility, and/or research findings. In order to highlight the importance of operationalizing rural, we discuss the challenges of defining rural, provide descriptions of commonly used definitions to familiarize readers with standardized coding schemes, and summarize an empirical example demonstrating the implications different definitions can have on rural special education research and policy. We conclude by providing recommendations for both producers and consumers of research.

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Using data (N = 1,350) from the Head Start Family and Childhood Experiences Survey, this study examined sociodemographic predictors of parent involvement in educationally enriching activities at home for low-income children with disabilities compared with children without disabilities. Analyses examined whether associations were moderated by aspects of parent–school interactions. Parent involvement was greater for White compared with Black and Hispanic parents of all children. Higher parental education related to greater involvement at the end of the year only for parents of children with disabilities. Parent perceptions of teacher support and school communication differentially moderated associations between predictors and parent involvement for children with and without disabilities. Results inform an individualized approach to fostering involvement among low-income parents of children with disabilities in early education.

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