This report describes the conceptual background, design, and methodology for a study of management of academic tasks in junior high school. Previous research suggests that tasks students accomplish in classrooms determine what they actually learn, and acquisition of higher cognitive skills related to interpretation and planning is essential for curriculum content mastery. Daily observations focusing on academic tasks will be made for one grading period in junior high school classes in each of three subject areas: science, mathematics, and English. Teachers will be selected for their effectiveness as determined by subject coordinators' nominations, class mean achievement gains during the preceding two year period, and preliminary classroom observations. Data on academic tasks will be obtained from classroom narrative records, instructional materials used, and graded student assignments and tests. Teachers and selected students will be interviewed concerning their perceptions of academic tasks accomplished in their classes. The study will generate information about structuring and directing student work, translating academic content and objectives into classroom tasks, and assessing task outcomes. This report contains a survey of related literature in cognitive psychology and classroom research, a description of the structure and schedule for the study, and a specification of the observation and analysis procedures. (Author/DWH)