Partnerships between higher education and public schools in rural areas can lead to improved education in both sectors. When launching a partnership, all concerned must convince a wide sector of the community that such programs are cost effective and will lead to more successful educational programming. By providing such a rationale early, the type of support needed from the public and business community will be easier to secure. Regional demographics must be fully reviewed and understood by all participating groups. Rural area partnerships must take into account isolation, transportation issues, and distance between schools and the university. A partnership venture requires strong commitment and leadership from several sectors if it is to succeed. In particular, the public school superintendent, the president of the university, and the dean of the college of education must be highly visible in their support of the partnership. Well-developed partnerships will include an advisory committee, partnership staff, record-keeping procedures, program activities, and evaluation and reporting procedures. Following these guidelines, Indiana University of Pennsylvania, Armstrong and Indiana Counties' Intermediate Unit #28, and the counties' 11 school districts have created a successful partnership, initiating 40 educational improvement projects since 1983. (JHZ)