In the northern high desert region of San Bernardino County (California), about half of special education teachers do not hold special education credentials. In September 1988, the Desert-Mountain Rural Training Program began to provide appropriate training to uncredentialed special education teachers in this sparsely populated area. The program is a collaborative project between administrators of the local special education unit and California State University at San Bernardino. Program components include: (1) providing a minimum of 30 current teachers, over a 3-year period, with credentials as teachers of learning disabled or severely handicapped students; (2) identifying, developing, and supporting practice sites that are accessible to rural teacher trainees for observation and practica-based experiences; and (3) using technology in the training of current and future teachers. The competency-based credentials program is taught at sites in the desert-mountain region and consists of six core courses and six courses in specialist areas. Innovative features include a regional rural issues course and the incorporation of rural "mini-modules" into existing courses. Development of teacher technological literacy focuses on telecommunications, video programming, and interactive television. This paper contains 20 references. (SV)