Several factors have been involved in elevating education as a prime issue of national concern. One such factor has been the advent of new technologies; another has been the report by the National Commission on Excellence which found a steady decline in Scholastic Aptitude Test scores, an increase in adult illiteracy, selection of nonrigorous academic studies by students, grade inflation with course content deflation, and people leaving the teaching profession. As a result of these findings, the Commission has called for the strengthening of state and local high school graduation requirements for English, mathematics, science, social studies, and computer science. The Office of Educational Research and Improvement (OERI) in the U.S. Department of Education is implementing programs using technology to improve teaching basic skills and using educational television to teach science. Federal grants have been awarded to various projects investigating the use of technology to offer training in an alternative occupation in high technology for secondary schools, to improve mathematics and reading skills, to develop computer managed instruction, to offer computer science courses for learning disabled and handicapped students, and to establish a Center for Technology to conduct research. The last project has been the Reagan Administration's encouragement to schools to become involved with and share information on instructional technology, and to get the private sector more involved in instructional technology. (DJR)