This digest describes the development of the standard middle school and its impact on rural areas, discusses the original goals of middle schooling, and suggests how rural schools can meet these goals despite their small size. The earliest middle schools were innovative rural junior high schools that enriched their programs with additional electives and age-appropriate activities and experimented with team teaching and flexible schedules. By the early 1970s, however, middle school designs had become somewhat standardized and a formula for a successful program began to emerge. The small size of most rural middle schools, which were sometimes dependent on the high school for shared facilities and teachers, seemed to preclude having a "true" middle school. In some places, a belief in a critical scale for the standardized middle school program (believed to be 800-1,200 students) led to school consolidation and the building of large regional facilities. However, it is important for small rural schools to focus on the goals of middle schooling that seek to meet the many needs of the preadolescent learner. These goals include academic achievement, development of learning skills, and personal development. While larger middle schools address these areas by employing standard components, small schools may use other strategies that capitalize on the many benefits of small school size. The digest briefly discusses such small-school strategies, describes promising innovations for the future, and suggests additional readings. (SV)