Assuming that education will continue to need governance at the state level by agencies responsible for planning, organizing, maintaining, and improving a statewide public system of education and that wide departmental variations will remain nationwide, the author makes several predictions concerning new roles to be played by state education departments of the future. He contends, in part, that there will be a major shift of responsibility for decisions on the methods of school financing, sources of funds, and the methods of fund distribution away from local boards to state legislatures. At the same time, he explains, there will also be a change in the channeling of federal funds -- through and into state monies rather than directly to and through local districts. The author sees the state education department of the future as a huge clearinghouse of information that will provide a statewide network disseminating educational data to regional and local districts and one that will act as a retrieval agent plugged into national and federal information sources. According to the author, state personnel will become more knowledgeable and sophisticated in the planning, evaluation, information dissemination, and technical assistance aspects of state governance. In addition, these people will be selected from and based in large urban areas with field responsibilities to include attending meetings and organizing and directing educational seminars in regional areas. (JF/EA)