Educational attainment in rural America reached a historic height in 2000, with nearly one in six rural adults holding a (1) ______ 4-year college degree, and more than three in four complete (2) ______ high school. As the demand of workers with higher educational (3) ______ qualifications rises, many rural policymakers have come to view local educational levels as a critical determinant of job and income growth in their communities. But policymakers are facing with two key questions. (4) ______ First, does a better educated population lead to greater economic growth According to a recent study, rural counties with higher educational levels saw rapid earnings and (5) ______ income growth over the past two decades than counties with lower educational levels. However, economic returns to education for rural areas continue to lag that for urban areas. (6) ______ Second, are there Ways to improve local educational attainment, particularly through improvements in elementary and high schools, It can enhance the economic well-being of rural (7) ______ residents and communities In fact, preliminary research demonstrates a connection between better schools and positive outcomes in terms of earnings and Income growth for rural workers and rural communities. Ultimately, the strength of the tie between education and economic outcomes is influenced in part by the extent which (8) ______ small rural counties lose young adults through outmigration. The loss of potential workers from rural areas, as young adults leave college and work opportunities in urban (9) ______ areas, has concerned rural observers for many decades. This rural "brain drain" not only deprives rural employers of an education workforce, but also depletes local resources because (10) ______ communities that have invested in these workers’ education reap little return on that investment.