Ideas discussed at the 1980 National Conference on Rural/Regional Educational Programs held in Portland, Oregon are presented in this Conference Reporter. Following a summary of executive committee activities and speeches concerning the future of rural/regional education and stressing the need for educators to assume leadership in rural education, the ways in which regional agencies can provide programs for the gifted and talented are described. Other topics covered include: School Standards for Local Districts and Education Service Districts; Staff Development and Teacher Inservice; Achieving Educational Equality for Rural Schools in the 1980's; The National Rural Project - Creative Strategies for Special Education Service Delivery; P.L. 94-142 and Rural Area Schools: A Case for Consortium; Inservice Education: Things that Work - Things that Don't Work - And Some Why's; Project CHILD; Comprehensive Help for Individual Learning Differences; Preparing Teachers for the Rural/Small School: The Oregon Way; Small Schools: Accomplishments and Challenges; and Teacher Training for the Rural Child. A directory of participants and a conference evaluation form are appended. (CM)