In early 2000, an assessment of mathematics achievement and related school practices was carried out in 24 clusters of rural high schools and their feeder middle schools in seven states. More than 2,400 eighth-graders and more than 1,900 12th-graders took a mathematics achievement test referenced to the National Assessment of Educational Progress and concurrently, completed a survey about their overall school experiences, including experiences specifically related to their mathematics classes. The results provide evidence that many students enter high school unprepared for a rigorous college-preparatory mathematics curriculum, and many students graduate from high school without the mathematical skills and knowledge needed to compete for "good jobs" or to enter postsecondary programs without remediation. Fewer 12-graders than 8th-graders performed at the proficient level and above, meaning that these rural schools lost ground with many students in high school. Course-taking patterns were related to mathematics achievement. African American students had lower mathematics achievement than White students, but the racial achievement gap narrowed when all students were held to the same rigorous standards and took the same higher-level courses. These schools placed little emphasis on rich numeracy experiences across the curriculum, had low expectations for many students, and failed to provide the guidance and support students need to succeed in higher-level math courses. Recommendations are offered for improvement. (Contains 15 data tables) (Author/SV)