With the aim of exploring the degree to which the policy of “equality of educational opportunity” has really been implemented in Taiwan’s rural schools, the researcher conducted a two-year (8/1/2004–7/31/2006), large-scale field study, designed to analyze the curricular/pedagogical practices and educational opportunities in rural junior-high schools in Taiwan. In order to gain a holistic understanding, research methods applied in this study include analysis of documents concerned with relevant policies as well as a questionnaire survey, regional focus-group interviews, actual site visits, and in-depth investigative interviews of the school ecology. In this paper, only some of the findings of the study are reported. The results discussed here mainly concern the barriers to educational opportunity in rural junior high schools, including contextual, fiscal, staffing, and pedagogical barriers. Also, related policies are reviewed and suggestions are provided regarding personnel structure, school expenditures, curricula and instruction, and school-community partnerships.