To determine the status of humanities education in American public schools, the Council of Chief State School Officers (CCSSO) conducted a survey of State Education Agencies (SEAs) in 1982. Data gained through a questionnaire sent to each SEA concerned humanities policies in the areas of organizational structure, general educational goals, curriculum, testing, textbooks, graduation requirements, funding, and current educational developments. The following findings were indicated. While SEAs express strong support for humanities instruction, they pinpoint several problems in program implementation, chief among these being the need for a common definition of the field. Only 20 percent of the states possess a unit entitled "humanities," and less than half include humanities in their statements of educational goals. While 25 states have competency-based educational programs, only 8 of these include humanities. Less than 10 of the states having uniform graduation requirements demand any music, art, or foreign language coursework. The SEAs' assessments of the direction for furthering humanities instruction are summarized in six recommendations. Among these are the need for states to develop specific humanities education policies, establish a core of common learning to which the humanities are central, participate in national and regional meetings concerning humanities, and work with state humanities councils to develop elementary secondary education projects on the humanities. Appendices include the survey instrument. (LP)