Educational attainment for rural African Americans is lower than that of urban African Americans or rural Whites. The African American Church has always had a strong role in providing educational opportunities for African American children and in community activism in general. This digest discusses partnering with rural African American churches as a strategy to improve the educational achievement and attainment of African American children in the rural South. School partnerships with African American faith communities present an opportunity to build stronger communities and improve educational outcomes for youth. Because of concerns about the separation of church and state, partnerships between schools and faith communities must focus on the common ground, the welfare of the children and the betterment of their lives, not on religious education. Guidelines developed by the Department of Education are presented for partnerships with faith communities that respect the separation of church and state. Six strategies that schools can use to develop partnerships with African American faith communities are noted. (Contains 33 endnotes.) (TD)