Generalizations about rural youth can be misleading as they are heterogeneous in their backgrounds, cultural heritage, values, and aspirations. This diversity is especially apparent when ethnic subgroups are examined. Black and Hispanic rural youth tend to have lower levels of achievement than white rural youth. This should be kept in mind when interpreting data from national studies giving results for all rural youth of a certain age group, as does the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP). NAEP data show improved rural performance to national levels for some ages in science, reading, functional literacy, and social studies, with rural nine-year-olds apparently showing the most change. Other studies also indicate that rural academic achievement is on the upswing. Regulations attached to federal money often create problems for rural school boards and staff. Not only must programs be designed to meet federal guidelines, but often change is difficult because of barriers inherent in the organization of rural school districts. However, while many rural communities do not have the numerous resource people and facilities available to them which urban communities often have, they make up for this seeming lack with a spirit of commitment to and interdependence with their educative system. (CM)