A successful rural school administrator must possess a variety of skills and abilities in order to appropriately meet the divergent needs of teachers, students, parents, and community members. This nationwide study investigated those traits school board presidents characterized as most important to consider in hiring rural school district superintendents, as well as indicators of administrative success and strength. The most valued capabilities were (I) interpersonal relations/communications

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... lls, (2) financial/organizational management skills, and (3) good moral character/personality. A replication of the study, also reported here, yielded similar findings. Administrator-training programs for rural educators should address the need for these com-petencies in their curricula.