The Invitational Small Schools Conference, held November 1973 in Tennessee, was the starting point in launching the Small Schools Task Force. The primary objectives of this task force are to identify needs and priorities of small schools in Tennessee, to provide leadership for the development of pre- and inservice education programs for small school personnel, and to generate research related to the small school. These objectives were especially aimed at 96 small school districts in Tennessee which in all likelihood need assistance they are currently not receiving. The Task Force Position Paper, the first presented at the conference, gave purposes, needs, and strategies. The second paper, Strengths and Weaknesses of Small Schools, included practices, programs, and administrator considerations. Other presentations were: Political Realities; The Economic Picture; The Educational Scene; Social Values in Rural Tennessee; Demographic Considerations; Health Conditions and Services; and The Development of Rural Education: The State of the Art. The Conference Summary presented participant views of the discussions. Persons attending the conference were also listed. The Appendix gave characteristics of the model innovative and rural futures development processes. (KM)