A TWO-YEAR COOPERATIVE RESEARCH PROJECT (1965-1967) WAS CONDUCTED TO SYNTHESIZE THE BODY OF AVAILABLE EMPIRICAL KNOWLEDGE RELATED TO EDUCATIONAL PRACTICE IN A MANNER TYPICAL OF SCIENTIFIC THEORY CONSTRUCTION AND TO DEVELOP A DICTIONARY OF OVER 600 COMMON EDUCATIONAL TERMS OPERATIONALLY DEFINED IN AN APPENDED GLOSSARY. THE THREE MAIN PHASES OF THE STUDY INCLUDED--(1) OBTAINING EMPIRICAL PROPOSITIONS FROM REPORTS OF OTHER STUDIES IN THE FIELD, (2) INDUCTIVELY GENERALIZING THEORETICAL PROPOSITIONS FROM THESE EMPIRICAL STATEMENTS, AND (3) FORMULATING HYPOTHETICAL PROPOSITIONS TO BE TESTED IN ONE OR MORE ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS. BASIC TO THE STUDY WAS THE AXIOM THAT EDUCATIONAL PRACTICE EXISTS PRIMARILY TO ACHIEVE PUPIL BEHAVIORS IN SIX DEPENDENT VARIABLE CATEGORIES--KNOWLEDGE, TOOL-SKILLS, COGNITIVE DEVELOPMENT, SOCIAL-EMOTIONAL GROWTH, ATTITUDES AND INTERESTS, AND SELF-DIRECTION. INDEPENDENT VARIABLES INCLUDED PUPIL VARIABLES, TEACHER VARIABLES, ADMINISTRATION, SCHOOL ORGANIZATION, SCHOOL PLANT, INSTRUCTIONAL METHODS, CURRICULUM, CLASSROOM ENVIRONMENT, SPECIAL SERVICES, AND COMMUNITY FACTORS. FROM A REVIEW OF PREVIOUSLY PUBLISHED STUDIES LISTED IN AN APPENDED BIBLIOGRAPHY OF 1,007 ITEMS, AN EXTENSIVE TAXONOMY OF FINDINGS WAS SUMMARIZED UNDER FOUR MAIN HEADINGS--(1) TEACHER CHARACTERISTICS, ROLES, AND BEHAVIORS, (2) CURRICULAR MATERIALS AND METHODS, (3) SCHOOL ORGANIZATION, AND (4) ADMINISTRATOR CHARACTERISTICS, ROLES, AND BEHAVIORS. FOR TESTING AND FURTHER THEORY DEVELOPMENT AN OPERATIONS MODEL FOR EDUCATIONAL PRACTICE WAS FORMULATED IN FOUR DIMENSIONS--OPERATIONS, PERFORMERS OF OPERATIONS, INPUT VARIABLES, AND PUPIL OUTCOMES. (JK)