Rural schools present unique challenges for school administrators, challenges that require knowledge of various skills in a range of disciplines. This book touches nearly every aspect of rural school leadership. It aims to help educational leaders in small or rural schools better understand their role, and to help all educators learn elements of the rural model that can enhance every school. Chapters are independent studies and are arranged in four sections: the rural setting, rural leadership--the view from the top, rural site-based leadership, and leadership and organizational skills for rural school leaders. The chapters are: (1) "Introduction: Educational Leadership for Rural Schools" (Donald M. Chalker); (2) "The Nature of Rural Schools: Trends, Perceptions and Values" (Mary Jean Ronan Herzog, Robert Pittman); (3) "'It's Deja Vu All Over Again': The Rural School Problem Revisited" (Penny Smith); (4) "The Rural School Board" (Marilyn L. Grady, Bernita L. Krumm); (5) "The Rural Superintendent: Succeeding or Failing as a Superintendent in Rural Schools" (Edward W. Chance); (6) "Personnel and Human Resource Functions in the Rural School District: Some Insights and Directions" (Robert C. Morris, Les Potter); (7) "School Improvement" (Richard M. Haynes); (8) "Leading Rural Schools: Building Relationships and Structures" (J. Casey Hurley); (9) "Southern Schools, Southern Teachers: Redefining Leadership in Rural Communities" (Eleanor Blair Hilty); (10) "Students Are People, Too" (Anna Hicks); (11) "Rural Education: Leadership and Technology" (Robert Houghton); (12)"Nobody Is as Smart as All of Us: Collaboration in Rural Schools" (William Clauss); (13) "School-Community Collaborative Vision Building: A Study of Two Rural Districts" (Edward W. Chance); (14) "Politics and Decision-Making: The Rural Scene" (Donald M. Chalker); (15) "Assessing School District Quality: Contrasting State and Citizens' Perspectives" (Emil J. Haller, Janie L. Nusser, David H. Monk); and (16) "Curriculum Needs for a Rural Native American Community" (Doris Hipps). (Contains references in each chapter, author profiles, photographs, and an index.) (SV)