Designed to help principals in rural and small schools, this volume contains 29 articles under the three broad headings of new possibilities in everyday practice, applications of recent research, and initiatives to help schools and communities grow. The editors' introduction notes the challenges facing small school administrators, the problems shared by all schools regardless of size, and the general lack of attention to solutions that are workable for small, rural schools. A prologue for each of the three sections of the text provides an overview and highlights the contributions of individual authors. The first section, "The Principal and Practice," contains descriptions of daily, recurring situations such as the need for teacher recognition and discusses one or more successful efforts at working on a particular issue. Articles in the second section, "The Principal and Research," describe research efforts of interest to principals, research activities in which principals are actively engaged, and networking programs bringing a variety of individuals together to analyze and resolve problems. Articles in the third section, "The Principal and Vision," either bring current concerns to the future or describe a vision for small, rural schools. Specific topics include staff evaluation, parent involvement, and reform mandates for effective schools. (JHZ)