Federal statistics reveal that 59.5 million Americans live outside urban areas, and the public school students who live in these rural areas constitute the largest minority public school population in this country; however, the lion's share of attention, research, and federal and state financial support goes to large schools in metropolitan areas. Rural educators must make certain that rural students begin to receive their fair share of attention and resources. In the current concern for the improvement of public education, those who work in rural and small schools must make certain that legislative decisionmakers are informed of the unique qualities and associated strengths and weaknesses of rural schools. In any statewide effort to improve education, rural schools must be represented on task forces and study groups to insure that mandatory guidelines and requirements acknowledge and allow for differences between large big-city school districts and small rural ones. The need to persuade legislators and educational decisionmakers to consider rural education points out the need for more and better rural schools research so that recommendations to policymakers can be based on facts. Areas in need of study include rural school effectiveness, staff development, and the use of educational technologies. (JHZ)