As part of a 45-state study, a self-administered questionnaire was mailed during the 1982-83 school year to 70 of Oklahoma's 237 public K-12 school districts enrolling fewer than 1,000 students; the questionnaire requested information about rural districts, teachers, students, and school programs. For the 45 responding districts, average student enrollment per district was 457 and mean student enrollment per school within districts was 170 students. Districts averaged 159 square miles in size. Agriculture and ranching ranked as major occupations and 56.8% of school patrons reported an average annual family income of $10,000-20,000. Districts averaged 15 elementary and 17 secondary teachers. Many teachers taught multiple grades (elementary) or subject areas (secondary), and the services of support personnel were limited, as were professional interaction opportunities. Average teacher turnover was estimated at 13%. Superintendents ranked their major challenges as obtaining adequate financial support, improving the curriculum, and securing qualified teachers. Districts averaged 33 graduates per year. Less than half of these graduates went to college or technical school. Special education was available in almost all districts but other support programs were less prevalent. Curricular and sports offerings varied across districts. A table compares all of Oklahoma's findings with those of the 45-state sample. (BRR)