Written for educators, legislators, and the general public, this monograph is a resource for better understanding the strengths and weaknesses of the one-teacher school. The material is designed to inspire more confidence in the quality of education possible in rural America and to reinforce recognition that most schools--regardless of size--can be educationally effective. The first chapter considers the one-teacher school within the framework of American education during the present century. This brief overview includes information about the effects of consolidation on rural education, the difficulties of attempting to compare rural and urban schools, and some of the techniques used by small schools to overcome the problems of isolation and small enrollment. Chapter 2 describes and presents information about one-teacher schools today based on studies conducted over the past 3 years. Chapter 3 compares today's one-teacher schools with those of 1960 and charts their progress. Chapter 4 affords an opportunity to "visit" one-teacher schools through descriptions of selected schools. Chapter 5 details the evolution of primitive, log cabin schoolhouses to current, well-constructed buildings. The final chapter offers reflections on material in earlier chapters and makes recommendations about the future of one-teacher schools. (JHZ)