Written in 1910, this book was intended to enlighten rural school teachers, superintendents, and school board members as to the changing role of schools in meeting the needs of rural society and the demands of modern life. The contention was that rural schools should not prepare students for life in town, but rather prepare students for rural life. The book begins with an introduction to problems associated with rural schooling, the decline of the rural population, changes in industrial life affecting rural areas, a description of the ideal 20th-century school, and what action should be taken to improve rural schools. The remaining chapters cover the following topics: (1) organization and administration of rural schools; (2) rural school maintenance; (3) rural school supervision; (4) an overview of the rural school teachers' training; (5) salaries and tenure of rural teachers; (6) rural school buildings, their architecture and sanitation; (7) indoor furnishings and art; (8) nature study and school grounds; (9) school gardens; (10) elementary agriculture and industrial clubs; (11) manual training in one-room schools; (12) the library and rural communities; (13) hygiene and physical education; and (14) consolidation of schools. Contains an index, additional readings in each chapter, photographs, data tables, figures, and a list of additional resources for rural school teachers. (LP)