To aid school districts in examining what Montana citizens expect of public school graduates, a task force composed of representatives from public, private, professional, and citizens' organizations concentrated its efforts in three main areas: college entrance, vocational education, and world of work. The committee considered commentary from students, employers, teacher education units, and professional groups, along with research from a wide variety of sources, in preparing a statement addressing seven basic academic competencies that should be developed throughout a student's K-12 educational experience. The pamphlet details specific expectations of students' competencies in the areas of reading, writing, speaking and listening, mathematics, reasoning, studying, and career awareness. The appendixes list Montanans' 15 goals for education and provide a schematic illustration of the process. (MLF)