The status, roles, and functions of those involved in the supervision of teachers were studied, with attention to observation, evaluation, counseling, and inservice programs. The evolution of the supervisory role from 1850 to the present was traced, and probable future changes were predicted. The components of supervision as reported in the professional literature and leading textbooks were the basis for the construction of a questionnaire that was sent to 102 leading supervisory personnel in Maryland. The responses were used to empirically validate the information gained from the professional literature. Factor analysis produced five factors from the survey data: training or educational credits, evaluation, gender, number supervised (responsibility), and supervisory style. The reported time spent in the various supervisory roles and functions provided greater insight into the components of supervision described in the literature. Overall, the supervisors favored the formative over the summative aspects of evaluation and preferred observation of the teaching process over testing student achievement as a strategy for evaluating teaching. A bibliography is attached. (SW)