Although formal recognition of the educational and economic problems of rural America came with the establishment of federal assistance programs during the 1960s and 1970s, the level of knowledge and expertise has not kept pace with the desire to help. If educators, researchers, and government personnel expect to have any success in dealing with the educational problems of rural America, there are three basic areas of knowledge with which they should become familiar: the heterogeneity of life styles, values, and beliefs of rural America; the consequences of imposing urban middle-class culture on a rural population; and the differences in attitudes toward education among rural subcultures and communities. Research at the family level must be undertaken and the culture of the community understood and considered before any strategies are developed and implemented. Such ethnographic research will face difficulties; getting researchers into rural areas and having them accepted is difficult and requires time. Also, finding researchers with an appropriate background and the necessary inclination is not easy. Educators can assist in reducing the tensions involved by: making a genuine effort to learn about and appreciate the culture and customs of the particular rural setting; taking a long-range view of the need for change in existing conditions; paying attention to the wants and needs of parents and students; and addressing issues according to local customs, if possible. (BR)