In 1985 the Georgia General Assembly passed the Quality Basic Education Act, recognizing needs in key areas such as provision of an equitable finance structure and staff development programs. A section of the act addresses planning and evaluation, mandating activities and requirements including a comprehensive evaluation of each public school, local school system, and regional educational service agency at least once every 5 years. Georgia's comprehensive evaluation system has two components (legal adherence and quality standards) and parallel components for regional agencies. Techniques and groups involved in developing the evaluation system are the Department Technical Advisory Board, Comprehensive Evaluation System (CES) Advisory Committee, CES Steering Committee, and Georgia Department of Education Planning Committee. Characteristics of a defensible evaluation program center around legal, ethical, technical, credibility, and practicality issues. Issues affecting future development of the system are described. (EJS)