The commission was charged with drafting a framework for overhauling education in California's 1,600 intermediate and secondary schools. The Superintendent of Public Instruction asked the commission to envision an educational system that could respond continually to changing needs in the next quarter century; to identify the skills and competencies individuals will need to survive and function effectively in the next 25 years; to chart ways to make school more effective, more enjoyable, and more conducive to a continued interest in learning; to identify the goals California's schools should be meeting now and through the year 2000; and to recommend immediate and long-range changes to bring about the desired results. The commission was not charged with designing methods of implementation. In this document, the commission presents its philosophy of reform, together with its recommendations and rationale for changes. The recommendations are grouped by subject--the new learner, the new learning environment, the new emphasis on learning, the new educator, and new resources and responsibilities. In a special section the commission deals with concerns for the early adolescent. Numerous appendixes are included. (Author/IRT)