Under the sponsorship of the U. S. Office of Education, Rand is conducting a several-year study of federally funded programs designed to introduce and spread innovative practices in public schools. These change agent programs normally offer temporary federal funding to school districts as "seed money" or "risk capital." If an innovation is successful, it is assumed that the district will continue part or all of the project using other sources of funds, and also disseminate it to other schools in the district, as well as to other districts that may be seeking change. The Rand study examines four such federal programs--Elementary and Secondary Education Act Title III, Innovative Projects; Elementary and Secondary Education Act Title VII, Bilingual Projects; Vocational Education Act, 1968 Amendments, Part D, Exemplary Programs; and the Right-To-Read Program. The study identifies what tends to promote various kinds of changes in the schools and what doesn't. In particular, the Rand study will identify for federal, state, and local policy makers the nature, permanence, and extent of dissemination of innovations that are associated with the various federal programs and with various federal, state, and local practices. This part tries to distill the study's methods and results for a general audience. (Author)