Reviews federal efforts to develop a rural education federal agenda, five basic problems of rural areas which lend themselves to federal solutions, Department of Education proposals for fiscal year 1982, significant federal responses/already in progress, and strengths and advantages of rural schools. (AN)

Describes funded Projects: Mainstreaming (meets needs of handicapped students); Drownproofing (teaches self-survival skills in water); REAP (serves rural outstate schools of Minnesota); Promise (involves students in production of films, slides, transparencies, and other media); Ideas (serves gifted students in rural settings); and Explore…