As a background for recommendations made in this paper on the program of regional educational laboratories, three contextual facts are highlighted. The first is the increasingly prominent role and responsibility of the individual states in the definition and delivery of elementary/secondary education. The second is that, while historically public education has been governed, planned for, administered, and funded based on input criteria, there is a major change across the nation toward output criteria becoming increasingly important. Implicit in this concept is increased accountability which must be defined in outcome terms. The third fact is the changing workforce requirements of the economy. The declining number of young people encompasses an increasing proportion of minority and poor youth, and schools fail to educate well a disproportionate number of those students. The nature of the economy requires a much broader array of new workers who have higher order skills. Recommendations are based on a need for universal high school graduation for all students, including those who are "at risk." A concerted national effort is called for which will utilize the research and dissemination potential of the regional laboratories, the resources of the private sector corporate expertise, and the political sophistication of chief state education officers. (JD)