This study describes the nine regional educational laboratories supported by the Office of Educational Research and Improvement (OERI). The labs are operating under 5-year contracts for 1986-1990. The study analyzed lab-produced documents, describing lab operation for the first 2 years of this period, highlighting the status of the program at the end of the second contract year. The documents were largely management documents (plans, annual reports, self-assessment reports, etc.) rather than program documents. Following an introduction on the background and mission of the labs, chapter two covers the governance and organization of the labs and the approaches used to establish each lab and to negotiate its niche in the region's organizational infrastructure. Chapter three covers the extensive planning system of needs sensing, capability, assessment, self-assessment, and priority setting. The fourth chapter deals with the work of the labs with state-level decision makers. Chapter five discusses providing research and development-based services with and through existing organizations. The final chapter offers a summary and conclusions. Appendixes present excerpts from a request for proposal and examples of task structures, taken from proposals, of laboratory programs focused on improving administrative leadership. (JD)