The National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) and the Longitudinal Studies Program (LSP) are major survey projects on educational outcomes performed by the Center for Education Statistics. NAEP is a continuing cross-sectional survey of young Americans' skills, knowledge, and attitudes. The LSP studies follow a sample of students as they progress through school into work and family life. This document reports on a planning conference to develop recommendations for the Center for Education Statistics on merging NAEP and the National Education Longitudinal Study (NELS) of 1988. Both the technical problems and complex ramifications of the merger were addressed. Summaries and full texts of the five conference papers which had been commissioned by expert panelists are presented: (1) "More Bang for the Buck: An Integrated Data Collection Strategy" (Alan L. Ginsburg et al.); (2) "Shooting at a Moving Target: Merging the National Assessment of Educational Progress and the Longitudinal Studies Program--A State Perspective" (Joan Boykoff Baron and Pascal D. Forgione); (3) "How to Optimize and Articulate a Longitudinal and a Cross Sectional Research Program" (Calvin C. Jones); (4) "Instrument Design for a Combined NAEP and NELS" (R. Darrell Bock); and (5) "Sampling Problems in Merging a Cross-Sectional and a Longitudinal Program" (Bruce D. Spencer). Summary remarks by David Sweet and Emerson Elliott of the Center are presented. Papers written after the conference by senior officials from the Center include discussions of implications by David A. Sweet, Gary W. Phillips, and C. Dennis Carroll. (BS)