The causes of rural/urban educational inequalities are multiple and diverse, and their analysis requires multi-disciplinary, longitudinal research. In this Polish study, preliminary examination of macrostatistical data on rural/urban disparities revealed the limitations of dichotomous analysis. In a broad, in-depth approach designed to develop a realistic continuum of community types, researchers lived and worked in two field research stations for 2- to 3-year periods, and a network of 49 teachers and correspondents provided data from their village schools. In total, data about 7,000 students were investigated over a 12-year period. The results demonstrate the interrelationships among educational inequalities and social inequalities. They also demonstrate the need to analyze inequalities on national, regional, and local levels. The study includes 38 statistical tables, 7 diagrams and graphs, 9 maps, an appendix outlining the principles of point setting in formulating starting and achievement level indices, and a selected bibliography containing 19 Polish, 4 French, and 8 English items. (SV)