This report presents a brief review of the results of seven years of work by the Field Studies Project of Research for Better Schools. The project's two major objectives were to study improvement processes in schools and to study the organization, roles, and functions of, and interrelationships among, agencies that support school improvement. The project conducted five separate studies, created two tools to support school improvement efforts, and generated several publications and reports. This report begins with a brief overview of the project's goals, objectives, and audiences, then describes the five major studies in terms of their purposes, design, problem areas, findings, and products. The five studies are the Local School Improvement study, the School Assessment Survey, the Federal Policies in Local Schools study, the Professional Cultures in Improving High Schools study, and the Regional Educational Service Agency study. The two tools created by the project were a training program for field agents involved in school improvement efforts and a survey instrument developed during the School Assessment Survey project. A bibliography lists 45 publications or reports providing further information on the studies, primarily issued by Research for Better Schools or authored by Field Studies Project staff members. (PGD)