This paper describes an attempt to deal with the issue of dissatisfaction in the traditional approach to doing research and evaluation at the Ford Training and Placement Program for professional personnel in the inner-city schools of a large metropolitan area. The paper discusses a) the kinds of questions that need to be examined in this program, b) the rejection of traditional means for examining these questions, and c) the development of alternative research methods. The paper reports on the four phases in which the program was examined in the university and cooperating school settings: Phase I was a knowledge-seeking period; Phase II involved a restructuring of training experiences by using the focused preparation and coordinated preparation of participants; Phase III emphasized the restatement of goals in terms of programmatic objectives; and Phase IV involved testing and reevaluation, if necessary. An alternative research approach is also presented. (BRB)