Small rural schools with fewer than 15 pupils per grade at the elementary level, fewer than 200 pupils in high schools, and fewer than 300 pupils in all grades at K-12 (or 1-12) schools or districts were profiled in 1980 by the National Institute of Education. Nearly 6,000 small schools were scattered throughout the country with the following distributions: Northeast, 5.7%; Southeast, 5.9%; North Central, 6.1%; West, 22.5%; and Plains, 59.8%. From each region and each school type, 60 randomly selected schools were sent 3 different questionnaires, directed to: teachers, who returned 41.6%; administrators, who returned 41.6%; and school board members, who returned 29.6%; total response rate was 38%. Communities surveyed reported their schools were meeting their objectives for: training in basic academic skills; preparation for work, parenthood, and citizenship; and service as a community institution. The profile provides statistical information concerning characteristics and attitudes of teachers, school board members, administrators, schools, and communities; and a report on the sample check which randomly sampled 62 non-responding principals by telephone to ascertain whether there were any significant differences between responding and non-responding schools. (AW)