The purpose, organization, and functions of research and evaluation in a large urban school district are discussed in light of several major issues in educational evaluation. Major issues include methods of assuring the credibility of evaluation information, the establishment and maintenance of meaningful reporting cycles, the recruitment and employment of qualified personnel, the release and dissemination of evaluation and research data, and the relationship between research, evaluation, planning, and development. The role of context, input, process, and product evaluation, as well as applied and basic research, in supplying the information base for educational planning and decision making is highlighted. (Author)