A 1982-83 survey produced data used to compare 17 small/rural K-12 New Mexico school districts (900 students or fewer) with 642 similar districts nationwide. Of New Mexico's 88 school districts, 43 were identified as qualifying (48.9%, enrolling 16,648 students), for comparison to 4,125 similar districts nationwide. A questionnaire mailed to superintendents of 23 randomly-selected New Mexico districts and 816 randomly-selected districts nationwide yielded respective response rates of 73.9% and 78.7%. A 3-page table compares New Mexico and national data in sections on the district, superintendent, student performance, and school programs. For example, school programs are compared on percent of districts employing certain resource personnel full or part-time--special education (New Mexico: 94.1%, national: 86.6%), school counselor (94.1%, 79.4%), school psychologist (0%, 33.8%), school nurse (52.9%, 45.1%), librarian/media specialist (82.3%, 80.9%), adult education director (0%, 22%), community education director (0%, 7.8%), and vocational education director (0%, 22%). Districts are also compared as to sports programs and percent of districts offering courses in Spanish (New Mexico: 11.8%, national: 41.8%), German (11.8%, 9.7%), French (11.8%, 18.9%), calculus (11.8%, 35.9%), chemistry (11.8%, 79.4%), computer science (47.1%, 60.3%), electronics (0%, 13%), vocational agriculture (70.6%, 63.1%), and physics (41.2%, 67.7%). (MH)