A New Mexico study interviewed 1 special education teacher and 1 administrator from each of 17 small rural school districts, via a 65-item interview guide related to staff development needs. Lack of staff development activities was identified as a critical problem for special educators. Training in instructional technology was the most frequently mentioned inservice need. A majority of respondents (91%) indicated that instructional technology would be useful in the provision of special services. Most respondents (94%) felt competence in instructional technology would improve special educators' effectiveness in the classroom, but response to the question of whether competence in this area would improve special education administrators' effectiveness was mixed. A final section of the paper describes specific instructional/educational technology applications, including New Mexico State University's preservice/inservice teacher education program for special education, which trains students in computer-managed instruction and computer-assisted instruction. (Author/MH)