RURAL EDUCATION IS DEFINED AS THAT WHICH PREVAILS IN SPARSELY POPULATED AREAS AND SMALL RURAL COMMUNITIES (LESS THAN 2500 POPULATION). FACTORS USUALLY FOUND WITH SUCH SCHOOL OFFERINGS, INCLUDE SPARSITY OF POPULATION, SMALL SCHOOL ENROLLMENTS, ISOLATION FROM CULTURAL EVENTS, AND REMOTENESS FROM EDUCATIONAL OPPORTUNITIES. SUCH FACTORS AS THESE HELP TO CAUSE A BROAD GAP BETWEEN THE AVERAGE RURAL SCHOOL AND THE AVERAGE URBAN SCHOOL IN THE EDUCATIONAL PROGRAMS. VARIOUS SMALL SCHOOLS PROJECTS HAVE BEEN INITIATED TO CLOSE THIS GAP. RECOGNIZING THIS SURGE IN RURAL EDUCATION EFFORTS, TWENTY FIVE INTERESTED EDUCATORS MET IN SALT LAKE CITY, UTAH, ON APRIL 28, 1967 TO PLAN THE NATIONAL FEDERATION FOR THE IMPROVEMENT OF RURAL EDUCATION (NFIRE). THE OBJECTIVES OF THIS ORGANIZATION ARE TO PROVIDE AN ON-GOING EFFORT TO REACH THE GOAL OF COMPARABLE EDUCATION FOR RURAL YOUTH, AND TO COORDINATE EFFORTS IN RURAL EDUCATION IMPROVEMENT. THIS ARTICLE APPEARED IN THE COLLEGE OF EDUCATION RECORD, VOL. 52, NOS. 8 AND 9, MAY-JUNE, 1967. (SF)