The purpose of this paper is to explore the interactions among federal education programs on the local level. Federal education programs work almost exclusively through the local education agency (LEA). Federal programs can work only if the LEAs can meet the aggregate requirements they impose. The burdens imposed by federal programs are of two kinds: administrative and financial. Administrative burdens are the demands placed on LEA personnel in interpreting federal rules, planning and implementing services required by the rules, and accounting for the use of funds. Financial burdens are the demands placed on funds from local and state revenues. This paper creates an agenda for analysis of the aggregate effects of interactions of federal programs. It, first, identifies for each of the major federal programs the features that may interact with other programs; second, identifies possible problems that those interactions might create; and third, defines questions for research on the implications of those problems for the effectiveness of federal education programs. (Author/MLF)