The purposes of this paper are threefold: 1) to explore several ways in which rational policy-making can be approached; 2) to discuss various plausible explanations for the findings and intervention strategies which seem to be consequent with those explanations; and 3) to determine the strengths and weaknesses of various specific intervention strategies in light of the findings and explanations. The problem facing educational policy-makers who desire the further educational achievement in a way dictated by explicit normative theories spelling out purposes and empirical research is explored. Alternative explanations for null educational research findings on student achievement are discussed and intervention strategies associated with each explanation are noted. It is concluded that the most salient alternatives in social education fall largely into the same general approach to problem-solving and that the significantly different social action alternatives require a complex set of decisions regarding implementation and potential effects on achievement. (Author/SHM)