This anthology focuses on rural education improvement that will prepare students for the 21st century. Articles address issues related to school funding, educational technology, curriculum offerings, state and federal policies, the role of rural teachers and administrators in school reform, cultural diversity, and changing socioeconomic factors in rural communities. An introduction by Gordon P. Karim overviews themes of the articles and discusses the role of rural schools in strengthening rural communities. Articles include: (1) "The Rural Context for Education: Adjusting the Images" (Daryl Hobbs); (2) "Rural Education in a Period of Transition: Are the Public Schools Up to the Task?" (Paul Nachtigal); (3) "Looking at Rural Schools and Communities in the 21st Century: The Impact of Changing Demographics and Economics" (James G. Ward); (4) "Better Together: Rural Schools and Rural Communities" (Toni Haas); (5) "The 'New' Federal and State Education Agenda" (E. Robert Stephens); (6) "Small Is Necessary: Strengthening Rural Schools" (Anne C. Lewis); (7) "The Evolution of a Rural Learning Community" (Dennis D. Gooler); (8) "Technology, Television, and an Out-the-Window Rural Interdisciplinary Curriculum: Or How Thoreau Teaches Social Studies, Language Arts, and Science" (Jim Page); (9) "The Changing Educational Needs of the Rural Student" (V. Pauline Hodges); (10) "Natural Metaphors of Change for Sustainable Rural School Communities" (James A. Lewicki); (11) "Why Rural Education Has Not Received Its "Fair Share" of the Funding--and What To Do about It" (Jonathan Sher); (12) "'At-Risk' Rural Students Benefit from Integrated Approach" (V. Pauline Hodges); (13) "The Critical Role of Rural Teachers in the Educational Reform Movement" (David Leo-Nyquist); (14) "Preparing Students for the Real World" (John Wilcox); (15) "What Administrators of Smaller Schools Do" (Constance M. Perry, Thomas H. Perry); (16) "Rural School Counseling: Turning Obstacles into Opportunities" (Catherine McConnell); (17) "Affirming Culturally Diverse Students with a Literature of Their Own" (Ginny Carney); and (18) "Reform in Mathematics Education: What's a Rural or Small School To Do?" (Jerry Johnson). (LP)