This monograph presents a digest and brief analysis of a 700-page congressional committee print entitled "Needs of Elementary and Secondary Education in the 1980's", issued in January, 1980, by the House Committee on Education and Labor. The major ideas of the 54 articles in the committee print are condensed, with additional attention given to the implications for trends in teacher education. The articles are grouped under three headings: the setting for educational decisions in the 1980s; challenges facing the education professions in the 1980s; and recommendations for action at the federal level. The format is a discussion and comparison of major educational themes, with extensive quotes from the articles. Among the challenges cited by the authors are the status of the curriculum, participation in decision making, special education areas, evaluation and research, and professional involvement. The implications for pedagogical education in the 1980s are brought together and analyzed in the last section. The ERIC Resources in Education (RIE) abstracts of the articles are appended. (FG)