Small schools, at one time the basis of education in the U.S., achieved an uncomfortable status with the development of urban centers and increasingly larger schools. Urged to consolidate to provide better services and to reduce costs, small schools were reluctant to abandon many of their advantages, such as close teacher-student relationships. Therefore, they adapted to the change, continuing to capitalize on a major strength--the emphasis on the human element of learning. This paper presents 6 major adaptations that have not only improved rural education, but that have also maintained the small school. These are: (1) the development of shared service programs; (2) the addition of extra courses to supplement curricula (i.e., correspondence courses, honors seminars via telephone, and multiple classes); (3) flexible scheduling, where teachers can identify problems during the morning, discuss and develop the idea during the afternoon, and run a trial test the next day; (4) the development of close community-school relations, and the joint resolution of local problems, such as the combining of the town and school libraries; (5) a development of empathy for the learner, where teachers and community members with special expertise assist other teachers and groups when needed; and (6) the maximum utilization of resources, especially the development of natural resources by students and teachers. Many small school administrators feel that these practices could be well adapted to the larger, urban schools. (KM)