This document quotes from and summarizes each of the 50 states' constitutional and statutory provisions establishing the structure, the power, and the duties of the various state committees, commissions, offices, and agencies affecting the governance and control of education. Detailed investigation of the formal body of law revealed the subtle differences between the states, differences frequently glossed over in attempts to find common patterns among the states' educational laws. The information presented is intended to be accurate and current up to the 1979 state legislative sessions, but is not expected to be comprehensive or to serve as a final authority in litigation. The material provides baseline data for further research. Presentation of each state's laws is divided into sections dealing with constitutional and statutory provisions, and with legislative oversight, the establishment of education, and gubernatorial powers. Brief summaries and charts at the end of the document compare the general state provisions in the areas of governance of elementary and secondary education, governance of postsecondary education, review of administrative rules and regulations, and gubernatorial powers. (Author/PGD)